


Ball Collection (A Joshifer Series)

by hutchabelle



Series: The Ball Series [1]
Category: Josh Hutcherson - Fandom, Joshifer - Fandom, jennifer lawrence - Fandom
Genre: F/M, JHFSS Secret Santa Exchange 2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-08 09:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 111,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1131063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was written for the JHFSS exchange.  The recipient requested PG-13 Joshifer and for Connor to be included if possible.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Cakeball Confessions

“How many jokes can you make about balls?”

Josh raised his eyes from the counter and quirked an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge or a serious question? Because…”

Josh grinned at Jennifer, his co-star and close friend, who’d joined him at his home in Union for a few days before Christmas. While enjoying a break from filming, the two had spent the past few days engaging in their usual goofy antics and running errands to prepare the Hutcherson household for the holiday season. After a year that included filming two of the Hunger Games franchise’s movies and the press junket and tour for Catching Fire, it was only natural to want a little down time together.

They’d arrived a few days ago and were immediately put to work, which Josh realized didn’t feel much like work with Jen beside him. She consistently brightened his days and caused the hours they spent together to pass at an alarming rate. Jen made Josh smile, and he would be forever grateful that this series of films helped solidify a relationship that defied explanation. On the third afternoon of her visit, Jen asked Josh to make one of her favorite treats, and he agreed to whip up a batch of his cakeballs.

Jen’s eyes drifted from Josh’s hands to his face, and a smirk lifted the corners of her mouth. “When have I ever been serious, Josh?”

He snorted and agreed, “Never. Good point.”

Together, the two rarely stopped joking around and giving each other a hard time. The media and other actors often commented on their closeness, and he’d wondered a number of times how to deal with the questions when they both dated other people.

The problem remained, however, that Jen inspired feelings in him that welled up at the most inopportune times, in spite of his other commitments and in spite of hers. Her beauty, her energy, her humor…all of them encouraged a bond he couldn’t define. Occasionally, she pushed him a little too far and said more than she should, but she could also be serious and profound and generous and kind in ways that made his heart clutch when he listened to her.

More than once—several times—he pushed the sibling story, and he continued to try to convince himself of its reality.

“So?” Jen prodded, her lips curved into a knowing smirk as she studied him. Jen knew him as well as he knew himself, so she probably knew where his mind had gone.

Well, two could play at that game. Josh knew he wasn’t the only one attracted to the other. With his own smirk, he asked, “Why are you so interested in my balls, Jennifer?”

A laugh ripped from her and she teased, “You know I love your balls, Joshy. Hurry up! I’m starving.”

“You know, you can drag your lazy ass off the counter and help me any time you’re ready. If you can handle being elbow deep in my balls, that is,” he taunted her.

“I don’t know, Josh. I kind of like watching you handle your own balls,” she returned, amusement and sincerity both bubbling just below the surface.

Josh stifled a laugh and shot her a look from beneath his eyelashes.

“I just bet you do, Jen, although there are plenty of people who think you should be the one handling them.”

“It’s all the sexual tension between us,” she joked in reminder of the bevy of interviews they’d completed leading up to the release of Catching Fire.

He emitted another chuckle as he worked the cake into crumbles, the warmth of the cake making the tips of his fingers tingle. His mind flickered for a second to think about them running across the warm skin of her neck.

Shaking his head imperceptibly, he requested, “Pass me that tub of frosting, please.”

“Okay, Jawwwwwwsh,” she drawled and extended the plastic container toward him. His fingers brushed hers as he took the container and felt a jolt. Raising his gaze to hers, he took in her face, which registered hints of shock and disbelief that she tried to cover with a shake of her own head.

His eyes still connected to hers, he deadpanned, “You just like my Schweddy balls, hon.”

Jen collapsed into a full-fledged belly laugh. “Okay, I admit it. Your balls are the best.”

“Damn straight, baby.”

Jen swung her legs back and forth from the knees, grazing them against the cabinets as she pressed her hands flat on the countertop. With a soft smile on her lips, she watched Josh fold the cake pieces into the chocolate goo. The tendons expanded in his muscular forearms, his long fingers molding, practically caressing, the cakeball ingredients.

“You really were good on SNL,” she murmured, his reference to the classic Alec Baldwin Christmas skit sparking the shift in conversation. “Truly good.” Realizing she’d paid him a genuine compliment, she added, “Not as good as me, of course, but we can’t all be Academy Award winning actors.”

“Somebody thinks she’s so funny,” he retorted and flicked a glob of chocolate frosting at her.

Jen’s head snapped back as it hit her cheek, and Josh guffawed at her shocked expression.

“Oh, that’s it, buddy. That. Is.It.”

At that, Jen’s feet connected with the floor and she attempted to reach into the bowl of cakeball batter, but Josh elbowed her and pulled the bowl away.

With a laugh, he pled, “Truce!! Truce! We can’t sacrifice the cakeballs. They’re too good. You know this.” The seriousness in his tone was enough to stop her for a second until she realized he was teasing her again. Unfortunately, he was right. His cakeballs were always glorious, and there was no need to waste them.

She pulled back, raising her hands in mock surrender, then added in a somber tone, “Save the cakeballs, Josh. Put them somewhere safe. You have 20 seconds, and then our food fight is on.”

Her gaze followed him as he moved across the kitchen to tuck the bowl into the corner of the counter behind a mug tree. His thin white t-shirt pulled slightly between his shoulder blades, and she unconsciously licked her lips. Swiping the chocolate frosting off her cheek with her index finger, she sucked the sticky substance and strategized her attack.

With his back still to her, she pulled the flour canister toward her and dug out a handful. Timing it perfectly, she tossed the flour at him just as he turned, and a white haze filled the kitchen and covered him with a fine powder.

Spitting flour from his mouth, he sputtered, “Thanks, Jen. I’m now the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

With his eyes closed, he missed Jen’s move to the sink but heard the water a millisecond before a stream of water from the sprayer hit him in the face. “Augh! Jennifer! Stop!” He rubbed his face to clear the flour from his eyes and realized his mistake too late. Instead of cleaning his face, he created a sticky paste.

“Oh, that’s it,” he asserted and moved to the refrigerator. Grabbing an egg carton from the fridge, he ducked behind the island and wiped his eyes to clear them completely. With an egg in each hand, he poked his head up and aimed, hitting Jen square in the chest. He grinned at her facial expression. Her mouth hung open in disgust, and he hit her again with the second egg before ducking back down.

It took only a moment before a shower of granulated sugar cascaded over his head and shoulders, adding to the flour paste and creating a shimmer that sparkled in the shafts of afternoon sun that slanted through the kitchen windows.

Mom is going to kill me if she gets home before we get this cleaned up and the cakeballs finished.

“Did you just dump the entire sugar canister over my head?” Josh yelled.

“Yesssssssss! Suck it, buddy!” Jen taunted, which allowed Josh to determine her location without having to look. Grabbing three more eggs, he rose from his hiding place and splat…splat…splat—once in the chest, then the shoulder, and finally the stomach. Jen threw herself behind the end of the counter and grabbed the sprayer from the sink again, sending a jet of water in his direction. Josh ducked but not before she effectively soaked the rest of his shirt, making it cling to his chest in a sticky, sugary mess.

Shaking his head, he shot around the island and smacked his hand down on the faucet to stop the flow of water. Before Jen could protest, he grabbed her and wrestled her to the ground, ripping the sprayer from her hands.

By the time the sprayer lay on the floor beside them, neither could contain their laughter, and Josh realized he had her at his mercy. With a huge smile spread across his face, he looked her in the eye and watched as hers sparked with panic.

“No, Josh,” she pleaded.

His smile widened, and he moved his hands to her sides. “Oh, yes, Jennifer. Oh, yes.”

He wiggled his fingers lightly against her sides and chuckled as she squirmed and giggled. “Please, Josh…” she gasped, but that only urged him to tickle her more.

Within a few seconds, his fingers tickled her in earnest, moving up and down her sides from her hips to her armpits. She writhed underneath him, yelping and screaming with laughter, but his body held hers to the floor as his shoulders shook with laughter at her reaction. She kicked and wriggled beneath him, but he refused to relent.

“Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!!! STOP!”

With a satisfied smirk, he stopped tickling her and placed his hands on the floor on either side of her head. Leaning in to place a huge smacking kiss on her cheek, he chuckled again. “And that’s how it’s done, sweetheart. That’s how Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence is defeated.”

“Sometimes I hate you, you know,” Jen snapped.

Josh snickered and sat up, pulling her with him so that they were both seated and leaning against the cabinets with her right shoulder touching his left. “Nah…you don’t. You love me. You miss me when I’m gone.” He kept his tone light, but they both knew he spoke the truth.

“Don’t remind me,” she mumbled grumpily.

He nudged her shoulder and joked, “C’mon, Jen, it’s gonna be alright. We’ve got months left of filming. Don’t start thinking about the future already.”

“I can’t help it. You don’t ever seem to be sad about it. Don’t you ever worry that we’ll lose touch? That we’ll never see each other again? We’ll get too busy and months, maybe years will pass before we hang out again?” Jen’s voice trembled slightly, and Josh realized this wasn’t the time to tease her. Jen didn’t lose her joviality very often, but when she did, he knew to take her seriously.

He rose and held out his hand to her and she allowed him to pull her to a standing position. Enveloping her in a hug, he mumbled, “No, I don’t worry. I’ll always make time for you, Jen. What we have is special.”

She squeezed him in return, seemingly grateful for his sincerity.

He rubbed her back for a few seconds and then grabbed her hand to pull her back to the counter. “We need to finish these cakeballs.” Her face remained set in a frown, so he nudged her again. “I’ll let you eat some,” he offered. A smile cracked her face, and she nodded.

They worked together in a rare silence for a few minutes with Josh molding the cakeballs and Jen inserting sticks into each. As she finished prepping the first dozen for the next steps of dipping them in frosting and adding sprinkles, she posed another question. “What do you miss most now that we’re super famous?”

He glanced at her and handed her another cakeball. “Probably the same things you do. Being able to do whatever I want, having privacy, ducking into the grocery store for a couple of things without being stopped so that it takes an hour instead of ten minutes.”

“Yeah… What do you miss about Kentucky? Do you miss it?”

“I do miss it. I miss the country. I miss my family.” He pondered for a few minutes and then continued, “I probably miss Connor the most. I mean, we see each other a lot, but I left when I was nine. I was gone for months at a time, and we didn’t get to spend every day together like siblings normally do. You know I don’t regret it. You know how I feel about acting, but I do wonder sometimes how things would have been if I’d stayed here and had a ‘normal’ life.” He made air quotations with his fingers at the word normal. “Hanging out with my dad on the weekends. My mom with them instead of halfway across the country with me.” He inhaled deeply and finished, “They all made huge sacrifices for me, and I wonder sometimes if they benefitted even a tiny bit as much as I did from their generosity.”

Jen nodded slowly. “I miss my family, too. I miss my nephew more than anything.”

“I know you do,” he agreed. “So, ten years… What’s your dream life? Besides us still being the best of friends, that is.” His lips pulled into a crooked grin, and he nudged her calf with his toes.

She threw a smile his way as he moved the empty bowl to the side and opened the second tub of frosting. He dipped the first few and covered them before passing them to her so she could cover them in sprinkles.

“Somewhere where I can have privacy. Maybe picking up a small role in an indie film occasionally but focused on a family,” she said with complete sincerity. “Can you see me in a minivan? Driving my kids to soccer practice…or piano lessons…or dance lessons…”

A laugh rumbled in his chest, but he could see it. Jen rarely gave herself enough credit. He had no doubt that she’d forge the life she wanted for herself and end up being both an award-winning actress and an amazing mom.

“Nothing will stop you. I believe that,” he reassured her.

“Nothing but starvation, I’m guessing. Can I have a cakeball now?” Her teasing tone indicated that her melancholy mood had passed and she was back to her usual silly self.

“Sure, but don’t you want to lick the bowl first?”

Her face lit up with excitement. “Seriously? I get to lick the bowl? I looooooooove frosting, Josh.”

“I know, Jennifer. I know you too well, you know,” he teased.

“Well, give me the spoon then! Why are you holding out on me?”

He ran his index finger along the side of the bowl and scraped as much frosting as possible onto his finger. He extended his hand toward her with the assumption that she’d swipe her fingers along his own to transfer the frosting to her hand. Instead, he stood in surprise when she lowered her mouth to his hand and enveloped his finger with her lips. Sucking the frosting from him, she moaned in appreciation at the chocolate flavor.

Josh stood frozen. She didn’t often leave him speechless, but this took the cake. An unexpected heat flooded through him as she licked the last speck of frosting off the tip of his finger. She raised her eyes to his and saw the smolder in them. Her eyes hooded in an attempt to guard against the pull of attraction from his gaze.

“Jennifer,” he murmured with his heart in his throat.

He pulled his finger from her mouth and trailed it down her face so that it rested under her chin. Tipping her face to his, his eyes searched hers and saw an acceptance he’d never seen before. She didn’t crack a joke or move away. Instead, she held steady, something so rare that both of them realized its importance.

Josh shifted toward her slightly and leaned his head to hers, his lips hovering centimeters from hers. He paused, waiting for her to pull away, but when she didn’t, he closed his eyes and gently brushed his lips against hers. He leaned his forehead against hers and moved his hand to cup the back of her head, his fingers brushing the wisps of hair on her neck. Her lips found his again, hesitantly at first, but then growing bolder.

The kiss escalated quickly until they were locked together, their arms gripping each other tightly. Neither of them gave consideration to the flour and sugar paste that covered Josh or the raw eggs that were half-dried on Jen’s shirt. They were lost in each other until the front door slammed.

Josh pulled back first, his eyes remaining locked on Jen’s until Connor entered the kitchen and blurted, “Hey, bro. Cakeballs done yet?”

Connor froze, shocked speechless at the state of the kitchen and his older brother standing so close to his friend. “What happened in here?”

Josh shook his head and glanced at his younger brother before giving Jen a look that indicated the conversation wasn’t over. “Nothing, man. We had a food fight.”

“Of course you did,” Connor snickered. He moved to the fridge and grabbed a drink while trying to control his knowing smirk. “Everybody’ll be here pretty soon. Better get this mess cleaned up…and then yourselves. Wouldn’t want anyone to think anything’s going on.”

They watched Connor saunter from the kitchen before Josh turned to her and joked, “Maybe I don’t miss him the most.”

Her lips curved into another smile, and they exchanged grins.

“If I help you clean the kitchen, can I have two of your balls, Josh?” she giggled.

Grateful their friendship could survive the heat of their kiss, Josh replied with a wink, “You can have all the balls you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for the JHFSS exchange. The recipient requested PG-13 Joshifer and for Connor to be included if possible.


	2. New Year's Ball

“How much longer until the ball drops, Josh?”

Josh raised his eyes to her lazily and asked, “What? Huh? Whose balls are dropping?”

A giggle escaped her before she could stop it, and she turned her head slightly so she could see him. Bundled under a pile of blankets with a stocking cap covering his blonde hair and a gray hoodie masking enough of his well-defined jawline that it softened his face, Josh looked like a young teenager and not the 21 year-old he’d become just a few months prior.

“Jennifer…whose balls are dropping? Isn’t it inappropriate for you to be asking about mine? I mean, we’re not dating remember.” Josh’s eyes twinkled as he looked at her through drooping eyelids.

Exhaustion served as the main reason the two of them decided to forego fancy New Year’s Eve parties in LA or spending time with friends in their respective Kentucky towns. Instead, Josh decided to return the favor of Jen’s visit to Union to see him before Christmas. As a result, they were both sprawled across the sofa in the basement of Jen’s parent’s house in Louisville. They’d burrowed under the blankets several hours before, only moving to visit the restroom or replenish the stock of snacks and drinks they’d consumed at an alarmingly rapid rate. A pizza disappeared in the early afternoon; several bags of M&Ms followed, and a number of beer bottles lined the coffee table with an empty slushy container or two interspersed among them.

“Joshy, I meant the New Year’s ball in Times Square. How long till it drops? I need to see my boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest. It’s been much too long,” Jen joked since she’d managed to drop the man’s name in a number of interviews during the previous fall, despite having minimal interaction with him or knowing him at all.

Josh picked up his phone and half-heartedly took a peek at the screen. “It’s almost 11:00, so just over an hour.” She nodded, and he asked, “What do you want to do until then? I think we’ve watched every single movie we can OnDemand, and I’ve seen everything on TLC right now. Do you want to do something or should we keep being lazy?”

Jen picked up a handful of Pixie Stix and opened three. After pouring the sugary concoction into her mouth and swallowing, she opened it and stuck out her tongue so Josh could see it. “Ith ai unghe ifrent coluhs?”

Without missing a beat, Josh answered, “Yes, your tongue is different colors. I guess that means we’re gonna keep being lazy.” When she didn’t protest, he yawned widely and added, “I’m down for that.” His eyes drooped again, and he snuggled deeper into the blankets so far she could barely see his eyes.

He popped them open when he felt the ping of something hard hitting his head. One glance at her face told him she’d thrown an M&M at him. Rubbing the sore spot, he glowered at her. “Ouch. That wasn’t very nice, Jennifer.”

“Well, come on. Wake up. I didn’t ask you to be my New Year’s Eve date so you could sleep on the couch,” she teased.

He shifted sideways and sat up a little straighter before he fixed his gaze on hers. When he was sure he had her attention, he said, “Oh, so we are dating now. Somehow I missed that memo.”

Jen quirked her head just slightly to the right and narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What?”

“You asked me to be your New Year’s Eve date, so we’re dating. You may now ask about my balls dropping.”

It took Jen a second to realize Josh’s deadpan tone hid both a fair amount of teasing and a serious undercurrent. Since their kiss at his house after the cakeball food fight, there was a hint of heat that hadn’t existed before between them—or at least one they hadn’t acknowledged.

Jen decided to play his game.

“So, when  _did_  your balls drop, Joshy? Because I think we can both agree that you’re all man now. All beer breath and scruffy facial hair and wrinkled clothes.”

“Damn straight, Jennifer.”

Jen waited, but Josh didn’t elaborate. “Well?” she prodded.

“Well, what?” he asked as he scrolled his phone, his attention seemingly elsewhere.

Exasperated, she repeated, “When did they?”

He turned to her then, his gaze flickering across her face, and observed her frustration. It was good to see Jen flustered. It didn’t happen very often unless he pushed her, and that hadn’t been nearly enough lately.

“I’ve been a man for a while now,” he said slowly in his deep voice. “It’s not my fault you didn’t notice when it happened.”

Electricity snapped between them, and Jen shifted her eyes to the television. The New Year’s Eve special in Times Square played on the screen, and she suddenly wished she was there instead of feeling uncomfortable with Josh. He was her rock, the person who always made her days better, so how had a simple joke turned into something that created tension between them?

Desperate for the easy mood that had pervaded the entire day, she changed the subject.

“What are your New Year’s resolutions, Josh? You have any?

Josh seemed to recognize Jen’s attempt to recapture the levity of the afternoon, so he reached over and grabbed her right hand. Giving it an apologetic squeeze, he nodded.  “Always have them. Why not?”

“Might as well,” Jen agreed. “That’s one thing we can do that’s normal like other people.” The wistfulness in her tone reminded Josh of her melancholy mood when she’d asked him what he missed most about Kentucky.

“Want to write them down? Then we can give each other shit when we don’t actually keep them. How’s that?”

She smiled softly and nodded. “I’ll get some paper and pens.”

When she returned, she handed him a notepad and a pen and said, “You go first.”

“First resolution—spend more time with Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.”

She punched him on the shoulder and snapped, “Be serious.”

“I am!” he protested with a yelp. “We barely saw each other when we weren’t filming this year. I missed you, so that’s one of my resolutions. Make time to see you when we’re finished with  _Mockingjay_.”

She blushed almost imperceptibly, but it was enough for Josh to know she was pleased with his comment. She refused to move her eyes from her hands, which she twisted in her lap. A faint smile caused the right side of her lips to curl upward.

“What else?” she asked quietly.

With a crooked grin, Josh finished writing his first resolution and added the next. “Spend more time with Connor.”

Jen nodded, her eyes still downcast. Something about Josh’s sincerity and vulnerability as he listed his resolutions made her feel emotionally naked. Josh frequently saw her serious side, but she didn’t often feel so exposed to him.

“Your turn,” Josh stated. “I can’t be the only one making decisions about my life, resting on my laurels, expecting the world to fall at my feet because of my awards and nominations. Oh wait…that’s you!”

“Har har, funny man.” Still unable to raise her eyes from her hands, she twisted the cap off and touched the end of the pen to her mouth as she thought. “I’m going to buy a house.”

“An admirable goal. One worthy of your status in life,” Josh said. He glanced at her and noticed the exasperation on her face at his response. In an attempt to amend his callousness, he asked, “What are you thinking? What kind of house? Where?”

“I’m not really sure,” she admitted. “Opinions? Thoughts?”

With a grin, he offered, “Hollywood Hills? You might get a really cute neighbor. I hear there are a few good-looking guys there. Really nice ones that can act pretty well. One named Josh, in particular.”

“Oh really? I bet they’d be humble neighbors too.” She caught his eye and asked, “But seriously, where do you think would be good for me? You like being closer to things than I do. Your house is perfect for you. All those trees but close enough to the city to get out all the time. I just want to escape it all.”

He nodded again. Her assessment showed she understood him in a way that few others did. “Maybe Los Feliz? Close enough to it all that you could get to work stuff easily but a little out of the way too? More private, for sure.”

A faraway look settled on Jen’s face as she considered his suggestion. After a few seconds, she said, “That’s not a bad idea. Definitely something to ponder.”

“I don’t know if you know this about me, Jennifer, but I’m pretty smart.”

“Yes, and super sexy and devastatingly handsome. Calm yourself before your head bursts.”

With a smirk, Josh asked, “What else? Can I suggest one?” Without waiting for her to agree, he said, “Take a vacation. Take two. Take several. Stop working yourself to death.”

“No argument here,” she agreed as she wrote it down.

“What else is there? Something about becoming a better person and all that?” he asked.

“Like that’s even possible with us. We are practically perfect in every way. Well, I am,” she joked. “Although, you could work at my parent’s camp this summer like you said you would. They’d love it, and I think you would too. You could do a lot of good if you have a chance to between movies.”

“Right on,” he said as he added it to his list. “Yours?”

“Spend a weekend with my nephew. Pretend to be a mom.”

“I think that works,” he said as he perused his list. “You good?”

“One more. Spend more time with Josh,” she added. “Now I’m done.”

“I like that last one,” he admitted.

“You should. Now sign it.”

He scrawled his signature across the top page and ripped it off before offering it to her. “If you wanted my autograph, all you have to do is ask, Jennifer.”

Jen looked at the papers in her hands uncertainly, suddenly unsure what to do with them. “I lose everything, Josh. How am I supposed to hold onto these for an entire year?”

“Grab your phone. Let’s take pictures. That way we have the resolutions when you lose the papers because we both know that will happen.”

They snapped pictures and settled back onto the couch and into the blankets. A few minutes of silence stretched between them while they mindlessly watched the celebration in Times Square intensify as midnight drew closer.

Jen sat up suddenly and looked at Josh. “We should do something special at midnight. Something that makes tonight memorable.”

“Being with me isn’t memorable enough? I’m offended,” he answered.

Jen grimaced and clarified, “Come on, Josh. This is our first New Year’s Eve together. Doesn’t that deserve something extra?”

“Okay, okay,” he agreed. “What do you want to do?”

Her face fell as she realized she had nothing to suggest. “I don’t know. We need to figure out something fast, though.”

Josh thought for a minute and an idea sparked. “I may have something.”

“What is it?” she asked eagerly.

“There’s this thing with grapes,” he began, but she quickly interrupted him.

“Grapes? You want to eat fruit to commemorate our first New Year’s together? Nice, Josh. I’m glad I’m so important to you.”

He tore another sheet off his notepad, crumpled it, and threw it at her. “Can I finish? Damn. Tough crowd.” He swallowed hard as he realized bringing up past relationships might not be the best idea.

“There’s this Spanish custom I learned this year about grapes. At midnight, if you can stop drooling over Ryan Seacrest long enough, you eat twelve grapes, one for every stroke of the clock. If the grapes are sweet, they represent good times to come. If they’re sour, then some hard times are coming.”

Jen sprang from the couch and headed for the stairs. “Where are you going?” he called as she disappeared.

“I’m going to get some grapes!”

He laughed at her sudden energy and yelled, “Then grab me another beer while you’re up there.”

Several minutes passed before Jen returned laden with grapes, a couple of bags of candy, and a six pack. “Found them!” she crowed. “Get off your ass, Hutcherson.”

With a chuckle, Josh disentangled himself from the mess of blankets and stood. He held out his hands as Jen counted a dozen grapes into them and then set aside twelve for herself.

“So, how do we do this? Wait for the ball to drop and pop them in one by one?” Jen asked.

Josh appraised her with raised eyebrows. “Do you hear the things that come out of your mouth, Jennifer? Now you want to pop balls into your mouth? Are we still talking about my balls or are we back to the New Year’s ball?”

Blushing a deep red, Jen shook her head in an attempt to drive the thought of Josh’s private parts out of her mind. “Shut up, Josh.”

He winked at her and moved to her side. He gave her a side hug with his left arm and said, “The countdown’s starting.”

“Ten.”

Josh wiggled his hands to grip one grape between his index finger and thumb.

“Nine.”

Jen turned her head to glance at Josh. His presence beside her wasn’t as calming as it normally was. She trembled slightly against him, and Josh pulled her closer to him in a reassuring squeeze.

“Eight.

Jen relaxed slightly against him, breathing deeply and inhaling his scent.

“Seven.”

Releasing a breath, Josh focused on the moment instead of where he could have been that night.

“Six.”

Suddenly, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she deserved better than to be in sweatpants in her parent’s basement on New Year’s Eve. He should have insisted they dress up and taken her to dinner. In his mind, he could see her sparkling, her smile wide as she celebrated with champagne. He should be wearing a tuxedo to match her off the shoulder gown. She was worth more than he gave her.

“Five.”

Turning toward her slightly, he noticed the way the light bounced off her cheekbones and the way her short hair tucked behind her ear. Sometimes he missed her long hair and fantasized about wrapping it around his wrists as he pulled her in for a kiss.

“Four.”

Jen’s mind recalled the way his white t-shirt had clung to his chest when she’d soaked him with the kitchen sprayer during their food fight the week before.

“Three.”

“We’re going to have to chew fast, by the way. A minute for twelve grapes isn’t a lot,” Josh said in an attempt to distract himself from his thoughts.

“Two.”

“I can be quick,” she reassured him.

“One.”

“Ready…”

“Happy New Year!” The ball in Times Square illuminated the number 2014, and they turned to face each other squarely.

“Go,” she whispered.

They both popped a grape and chewed vigorously. “Sweet,” Josh announced as the juice spurted over his tongue.

“Same,” she agreed and placed another in her mouth.

Immediately, she made a face. “Ugh…sour! Disgusting.”

“Sweet for me!” he said with a smirk.

They continued with more sweet than sour until they each grimaced on the ninth grape. Both were sour.

Josh chewed his tenth grape with his eyes locked on Jen’s. “Sweet,” he said, and she nodded her head in agreement.

The eleventh was sweet for both as well, and Josh had trouble getting the word past the lump in his throat. He shifted slightly forward as an unconscious need to be closer to her overwhelmed him.

Her gaze held his as they raised their final grapes. Jen hesitated for a millisecond and then lifted hers to Josh’s mouth. His lips opened and she slid the grape between them as he did the same for her. She hesitated to move her hand, and Josh’s mouth closed lightly around her fingers. The tip of his tongue slid over the pad of her fingers and caused her body to warm.

“Sweet,” she gasped as her fingers slid from his mouth.

“So sweet,” he whispered.

His arms pulled her firmly against him, and he tilted his head toward her. Her eyes closed involuntarily a split second before his lips joined hers.

Josh’s ears roared as hundreds of thousands of celebrants sang  _Auld Lang Syne_  with gusto in New York, but he had no desire to be anywhere but where he was. Her scent filled his nostrils as he pressed against her, unable to get close enough.

Her fingers wound in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling the beanie from his head and leaving it bare. She pulled his mouth harder against hers. Her mouth slanted under his, her tongue sweeping into his mouth insistently. A groan of satisfaction escaped him as their breath mingled together. He couldn’t get enough.

Jen controlled the intensity of the kiss, but Josh controlled his hands. It was no surprise to him that the right cupped the back of her head to pull her face closer to his, but the left snaked down her back to grip her pert ass and pull her hips forward against him. She moaned into his mouth when she felt him growing harder against her and whimpered when Josh’s fingers kneaded her backside. It felt impossibly good to feel his hands on her.

Both needed air, and they pulled away from each other, their breaths ragged with desire. His hand continued to caress her, and he grew more rigid despite his best efforts to control his body’s reaction.

“Josh?” she asked, suddenly uncertain as he closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. Her fingers continued to glide through his blonde hair, and she yearned to feel his mouth on hers again.

He gulped and leaned in for another kiss, this one much shorter. “Happy New Year, Jennifer,” he said, his voice strained with frustration.

Quietly, she returned, “Happy New Year, Josh.”

With a sigh, he turned to the couch and settled back into the blankets. When she stood, looking slightly forlorn, he held out his arms. Without hesitation, she fell into them and snuggled against him, her cheek on his chest and their legs intertwined.

He kissed her forehead and waited for her to turn her face to him. When she did, he pressed his mouth to hers again softly. Their lips met repeatedly, sweetly, steadily, as the first moments of the New Year ticked into the past.

They woke the next morning still wrapped in each other’s arms and cuddled beneath the blankets.

Jen’s fingers intertwined with Josh’s, and she observed, “Being together isn’t the worst way to start 2014.”

“I can think of worse,” Josh agreed and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

They could worry about what, if anything, this meant later, but for today, they would fulfill their resolutions of spending time together.

Suddenly, his stomach growled, and Jen giggled against his chest. “Hungry?”

“Starving,” Josh admitted.

She lifted her eyes to his and teased, “We always have grapes.”


	3. Ball of Emotions

 

 

“C’mon, Jen,” he teases, and I want to punch him. He’s being particularly pushy tonight as we lie in the room eating countless bags of candy and watching television. I don’t even know what’s playing.

 

He’s gotten a little too full of himself over the past few weeks. He thinks just because I miss him and I admitted it during the press tour that he can give me shit.

 

Without raising my head from the couch, I flip my middle finger in his direction.

 

“What’s that you got there? Huh?” he asks with laughter in his voice.

 

I don’t even bother to open my eyes and respond with a mumble, “It’s a middle finger, delivered just for _you_.” A grin spreads across my face when I realize we’ve just re-created one of our _Catching Fire_ press junket interviews. We do that a lot.

 

He chuckles and throws a handful of skittles at me. Luckily, seven land on my chest and stomach and I pop them in my mouth one by one.

 

“Thanks for the snack,” I say without bothering to look in his direction. “I needed a little more sugar tonight. Needed to taste the rainbow and all that.”

 

He laughs again, and I smile at the familiarity of our routine. We spend a lot of time together doing nothing except giving each other crap and relaxing. Josh and I know how to play hard, but we also know how to do a whole lot of nothing together. He’s lying on the floor with his feet up on the end of the couch and his arms splayed to each side. I have no idea how he can see the TV from that position, but I don’t think the program we’re watching needs our rapt attention to follow the plot. In fact, there is no plot to anything we watch, which is kind of the point.

 

A comfortable silence falls on the room. I can’t explain how happy it makes me that Josh understands when nothing needs to be said. When I’m in public, I feel like all I ever do is talk. People ask me questions all the time. Every press conference and interview I attend feels like every question is directed at me, even if I’m in a group with other cast members. It’s exhausting. Doesn’t anyone else get tired of the sound of my voice?

 

Poor Josh has had to rescue me more than once when I blanked during the questioning. I get distracted by other things, sometimes him, sometimes my own thoughts, sometimes by sheer boredom, but he always rescues me—even if he ribs me about it.

 

That’s the thing I love about Josh. He’s always there for me, no matter how out there I get. He holds me down when I tend to float away with my mind going in fifty different directions. He wasn’t lying when he revealed in one interview (the same one we just partially reenacted) that I can “actually have a conversation.” We do that all the time when we need something more serious than the goofing around we do on set. When it’s just us two, and we’re away from everyone else, the conversations we have make my life better in every way. He’s wise beyond his years, and I love to hear his thoughts on the most random conversation topics. Sometimes I wonder how he knows certain things, and then I remember his brother’s a genius, and his grandfather’s in Mensa. Must be nice to have those genes.

 

It’s not even late yet, only 9:00, when I realize I’m dozing in and out of consciousness. I release a soft grunt and turn over on my side to face the back of the couch.

 

“Oh, no you don’t, Jennifer. Wake up. We’ve only got a few more hours together before you go jetting off to New York again and leave me here all alone.” Josh’s voice has an edge to it, but I know he’s not really serious. He’s such a good actor with his voice. He can put a world of expression into his husky words.

 

“Uh uh,” I manage to say and snuggle a little bit deeper into the cushions. It’s a remarkably comfortable couch for a temporary living space. “Besides, stop quoting _HeeHaw_. You’re too young, and I’m not leaving you ‘here all alone.’”

 

Without warning, Josh’s hand clasps my ankle and I feel myself falling from the couch. The jerk pulled me onto the floor, and I land with a soft “ooof.”

 

Balling my hand, I land a punch on his shoulder and glare at him. “What the hell, Josh? I’m tired!”

 

“You can sleep later. Besides, I was lonely on the floor. Join me. Put your feet up. Stay awhile.”

 

With those words, he shifts his head so it’s next to mine and angles himself so his feet stay on one end of the couch and leaves the other end for mine. Reluctantly, I give in and lift mine to rest on the furthest cushions. I hate to admit he’s right, and it’s actually a quite comfortable position.

 

“We make a good triangle,” I observe.

 

He’s almost too quick when he jokes, “We have all the right angles.”

 

We both burst into giggles at the bad pun. How he comes up with such quick one-liners is beyond me.

 

When we’ve calmed down from our giggle fit and are completely settled and comfortable, Josh speaks in a more serious and fairly soft voice, “So, what’s your schedule for this trip?”

 

I know he worries about me sometimes. I know he thinks I work too hard, and I probably do, but I can’t help the desire inside me to take roles that make me feel alive. I’ll slow down eventually, maybe even take a vacation. Eventually.

 

Sighing, I run through the highlights in my mind. I don’t bother to remember all of it since I have an army of people reminding me what I’m supposed to be doing almost every minute of every day, but I am looking forward to one thing that’s scheduled.

 

“I have an interview with Josh Horowitz tomorrow. That should be good for a laugh,” I tell him.

 

Josh snorts with laughter. “Ah, the other Josh. Tell him hi for me and then say something inappropriate. He’ll expect that anyway.”

 

“Of course he expects that! You send him inappropriate questions for me all the time. Try not to say anything about my state of dress next time, will you? I swear he thinks we must be naked to together constantly.”

 

“Well, I can think of worse rumors to start,” he jokes.

 

My left arm reaches out to punch him again, but I miss and hit the carpet instead. I’m too apathetic to attempt another swipe.

 

“Stay there, Josh. I’ll be back to punch you later.”

 

Silence falls again. Our breathing synchronizes for a few minutes until Josh inhales deeply and bolts upright. Without looking, I can tell he thinks he has a brilliant plan. I open one eye lazily and squint at him.

 

“What you got, buddy?” I ask.

 

“Face charades,” he says, his tone completely serious.

 

Shaking my head, I struggle to sit upright. After one failed attempt, I give up and instead roll my head to face him. With both eyes open, I deadpan, “Face charades? I’m sorry, that a new game that no one’s ever heard of? Because I'm pretty sure you made that up.”

 

“I did!” he says, his voice so excited I can only smile.

 

Dammit. I guess I _am_ going to have to get off the floor.

 

When I’ve rolled around like a beached whale for a few minutes and am finally facing him, I sit cross legged and look at him fully. His grin is infectious, his hair tousled in several directions. He’s such a guy and so adorable when he’s acting like a kid.

 

“Okay, shoot. Explain your genius new game, the highly marketable Face Charades. That’s a horrible name, by the way.”

 

He grins and then speaks. “Well, see, here’s the thing. It has to be played with Academy Award winning actress, Jennifer Lawrence. Otherwise, it’s really not very much fun.”

 

I throw him a pretend glare. I hate to admit that I get a little tingle of a thrill every time Josh teases me about the Oscar. I don’t think about it too often, but there are still days I can’t believe I won.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m the greatest. You’re in awe of me, and blah, blah, blah,” I joke.

 

“No, really I just want to make sure you’re ready for the press corps tomorrow. This is scientific. You should practice.”

 

“Practice?”

 

He nods. “Yes, practice. Your facial expressions. You’ll thank me later.”

 

Have we been drinking? I don’t remember drinking, but he doesn’t seem to be making a lot of sense right now.

 

He laughs deep in his chest at my confused look and reaches up to pinch my earlobe. “Wake up, Jen. Shake off the cobwebs. I’ll give you an emotion and you do it. This happens to you almost every time you have a red carpet. You might as well get ready for it.”

 

He’s got a point. I do get asked to show hypothetical expressions all the time. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything important, and he always makes this kind of thing fun.

 

“Okay, fine,” I sigh. He knows I’m pretending to be huffy, but he still narrows his eyes at me.

 

“Anger. You’re on. Go. _Action_!”

 

Without thinking, I narrow my eyes at him, mimicking his actions, and tighten my jaw. I breathe hard a few times and flare my nostrils. My mouth tightens a little too before Josh calls the next emotion.

 

“Nice!” he says in appreciation. “Melancholy.”

 

Immediately, I relax my face and let my lips sag at the corners. I’ve always associated that emotion with hopelessness, so I let my eyes go a little fuzzy and try to wipe any traces of happiness from my face.

 

"Hmmm” is all I get from him before he commands, “Loving.”

 

I shift expressions so quickly, I almost laugh. I bat my eyelids at him and allow a soft smile to grace my lips. I can’t tell without looking in the mirror, but I think I’ve managed to blush just slightly so my cheeks turn the lightest shade of pink.

 

He bats his eyes in return and winks at me. “You’re really good at loving, Jen. I must be your lucky charm.”

 

My natural instinct is to stick my tongue out at him, but I refuse to lose this game. So I keep my expression of adoration steady despite the fact that I want to punch him again. He thinks he can break me, but I’m a much better actor than that. Or maybe I’m just much more stubborn.

 

“You’re happy! Really, really happy. Ecstatic, I think.”

 

My eyes brighten in mock excitement and my mouth breaks into a wide smile. I blink furiously a few times to imitate disbelief at my imaginary thoughts.

 

“Remembering peeing together in Hawaii? I know that’s your happy place,” he teases, and I can’t stop myself from giggling.

 

He grins at me. “I got you,” he says.

 

“Nuh uh!” I protest. “Giggling is perfectly acceptable when happy. Admit it. I laugh all the time when I’m excited.”

 

He grimaces because he knows it’s true. “Whatever,” he mumbles and then gives the next direction. “Disgusted.”

 

The right side of my mouth lifts in a sneer and I roll my eyes. My nose raises a little to show my displeasure, and I make a soft sound of exasperation to accompany my facial features. I’m pretty proud of this one.

 

Josh’s face is almost as expressive as mine as he approves with a nod and ponders the next emotion to assign. He rests his chin in the juncture of his thumb and index finger while he thinks, which obviously prompts his next command.

 

“Pensive. It’s not your normal, everyday emotion, so go for it. Make me belieeeeeeve!” he drawls, so silly he almost breaks me.

 

Pursing my mouth slightly, I wrap my left arm around my waist and tuck my right elbow on it while allowing my chin to rest on the tip of my thumb and the curve of my index finger. I grip my chin slightly and relax my face again to show thoughtfulness with a hint of longing. I gaze upward through my eyelashes to demonstrate I’m deep in thought. Pretty sure I nail this one, too.

 

He’s silent for longer than expected, and I crack my façade for a second. “Running out of ideas, Joshy? I can do this forever,” I tease.

 

“Nah,” he drawls again. “Just getting started, Gin-I-four.” He separates the syllables of my name in such a playful tone, he sounds like a middle school kid teasing his crush on the playground. Sometimes he’s such a kid when we’re together it makes my heart clench with longing for those days when I had no more stress than getting through the day at school. Of course, that was stressful sometimes because school wasn’t my favorite thing.

 

That’s another thing Josh and I have in common. We’re both so hyper and energetic, traditional schooling didn’t sit well with either of us. Being trapped behind a desk for hours at a time was excruciating when I was younger, and I know he hated being locked into a schedule he didn’t choose and forced to stay still, too. I was lucky enough to have a lot of teachers that understood I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, but those days were still excruciating most of the time. Both of us are grateful our careers resulted in non-traditional educations.

 

“Calm. This one should be hard for you.”

 

Despite my irritation, I wipe my face and tug the left side of my mouth into a hint of a contented smile and relax every other muscle. I force my eyes to clear, leaving no trace of mirth or excitement. I imagine a solitary beach on an inlet so the water is almost perfectly calm.

 

“Okay, I admit it. You’re good.”

 

“Of course, I am. Don’t you hear what Hollywood says about me?” He knows I’m joking, but I still expect him to bring that up again at the most inopportune time. I never have to worry about getting too big of a head around my cast mates.

 

“How about lonely?” he suggests.

 

I pinch my forehead slightly and allow my eyes to fill with sadness. My mouth droops slightly and my cheeks relax to show I’m despondent. Thankfully I rarely experience this emotion in real life.

 

“Alright… irritation?” he suggests.

 

My eyes flash at him, and I tighten my jaw and cock it to the left. My bottom teeth jut out beyond the top, almost exactly like I did when I was playing Katniss and Josh’s character agreed to unzip Jena’s character’s dress. I know I have this one perfected.

 

His eyes light up and he blurts, “Sad! Do sad. You do a great sad.”

 

I relax my face again and let my eyes cloud. My mouth droops, my bottom lip poking out in a deep pout.

 

Five seconds pass before Josh bursts out in laughter so hard he topples onto his side. His hands clap together several times as he laughs. It takes him a few minutes, but he’s finally able to screech in a high-pitched voice, “You look like a platypus!”

 

“What do you mean, a platypus?!” Indignant, I sputter my question.

 

He can’t stop laughing. When Josh starts laughing, full body laughing, he can’t stop. The lateness of the hour, the amount of sugar we’ve consumed, and our natural ease with each other have created an atmosphere that results in his near delirium. His body convulses, giggles erupting from him in spurts. His voice is so high, he sounds like a woman. His face blushes to a deep red, and he gasps for air.

 

His mirth is infectious, and I can’t stop myself from joining him. It starts as a couple of small giggles, but soon it catches in my chest and moves to my belly so that I’m gulping in air in between fits of laughter. I collapse next to him, both of us squirming as we do what I can only describe as guffaw. My chest hurts and my sides ache as I continue to shake.

 

Josh manages to catch his breath and pushes himself up on his left arm, his right crosses over his legs. He gasps a few more times and looks at me with an expression of pure bemusement. His hazel eyes twinkle and he can barely pant, “Do it again, Jen.”

 

“Do what?” I sputter in between attempts to breathe.

 

“Show me your platypus face!” he wheezes and collapses into a fit of giggles again. “Platypus face! Oh my god!! It’s like a bad porno.”

 

We giggle and laugh and sputter and roll around together for several minutes before I can form words again. When I do, I say, “Don’t ask me to show you any small, hairy animals, Josh. I can’t be responsible—”

 

I’m laughing too hard to finish.

 

He’s done it again. I’m just a few hours from having to leave for another red carpet premiere and press junket, and Josh has managed to relax me, to help me unwind, to relieve the ball of emotions that coils inside. I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time, and this kind of laughter is the kind that releases tension in such a way that it doesn’t come back. He always knows exactly what I need, even without me having to say anything to him. I love his intuition, and I love that he cares about me enough to want me to be my very best.

 

As the giggles ease and we settle into another relaxed silence, I wiggle over to tuck my head against his shoulder, and he shifts to slip his arm around my waist. His warmth and solidity make me feel safe.

 

“Thank you, Josh,” I murmur.

 

“For what?”

 

“For knowing me better than I know myself.”

 

He tightens his arm into a quick squeeze and releases me. With a grunt, he rises to his feet and pulls me up by one hand and kisses me on the side of my head.

 

“You’re welcome, platypus face. Now let’s get you packed. You’ve got some critics to wow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is to fulfill a request to write Josh making fun of Jen's platypus face.


	4. Mighty Balls

                                                           

 

“Josh,” she croaked in a hoarse voice.

He grunted in response.

“Can we do something fun? I’m tired of being sad.” Her shoulders drooped and her head hung as she emerged from the hotel room’s bathroom and looked at Josh who was sprawled across the unmade bed.

The trip to New York was unexpected and unwanted, but Jen was glad Josh had agreed to hang out to try to make her feel better. Usually doing nothing with him was exactly what it took to get her in a better mood, but this time it wasn’t working. She was restless and wanted to escape the hotel room as quickly as possible.

“For sure,” Josh drawled from his reclined position. “What do you want to do?”

She shrugged listlessly. “I don’t care. Just something fun. Get me out of here. I need something silly-stupid with you.”

Josh observed her red-rimmed eyes and downturned mouth. Her sadness broke his heart.

He grabbed his phone from the bed next to him and pulled up the browser. “Give me a second, Jen. I’ve got an idea.”

It only took him a few moments to find it, but the right side of his mouth curved up in a crooked smile when he did.

Checking the screen for the address, he tucked the phone in his pocket and rose from the bed. He snatched his baseball cap and sunglasses and shrugged on his jacket before turning to her.

“I’ve got something. Get bundled up and let’s go.”

Jen’s face reflected her gratitude at his willingness to make her day better. He always did, and that’s one of the many reasons she cared about him so much. His heart was huge. No matter the tension they sometimes felt when real world responsibilities and relationships threatened their private bubble, she knew he loved her.

She situated her purple beanie on her head and placed her largest pair of sunglasses on her face. She wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled on a jacket with a hood that looped over her forehead. Glancing in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction at her appearance.

With a deep sigh, she said, “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Come here,” he urged. Holding his arms out to her, he waited, knowing that she needed his comfort before facing the world.

She tucked her head into his shoulder and let him hold her, gaining security from his steadiness. His cheek rested on her head, and he matched his breath to hers until he felt her pull herself together.

“Alright, let’s go.” He dropped his arms and grabbed her hand to drag her down to the hotel lobby and into the street to flag down a cab.

“Bryant Park, please,” he instructed the cab driver.

“What’s in Bryant Park? It’s cold outside, Josh.”

He grinned at her. “Now, don’t get too excited, Jennifer, but we’re going to get some food.”

Her eyes brightened slightly, but she didn’t seem convinced of his plan’s brilliance. “We had food in the room.”

“Right,” he agreed. “But…” She shifted her eyes to him at his pause and waited. With a wicked grin, he finished, “We don’t have Mighty Balls in our room.”

This time her smile reached her eyes as her grin stretched her face. “You’re taking me to Mighty Balls? Really?” she squealed.

“Really, really,” he answered, so pleased with himself he couldn’t contain his smug grin.

Mighty Balls had been a surprise discovery for them several months prior when they’d spent a few days in New York at the same time for separate events. They’d found a couple of hours to explore the city together and stumbled upon a traveling food cart named Mighty Balls. While the name amused them, the slogan made them laugh more. “Not Yo Mama’s Balls” became a private joke between the two of them; one over which they giggled continually.

It took them several minutes to order the first time, unable to choose which version of the savory balls to get. The fact that the menu offered an option called “Just the balls” made them both laugh so hard when they ordered that the cook glared at them.

“Ooooooo… Read the description to me, Joshy,” she begged. The website updated daily and offered so many double entendres they both thought it should be censored.

Already giggling, he entered the password on his phone and read, “But back to the balls. We specialize in all things balls. We strive to create a unique food experience, bringing together slightly esoteric sauces as compliments to our exceptionally delicious balls.”

He struggled to make it through, especially when Jen snickered the entire time, but he lost it when he read another section of the description.

Gasping for air, he said, “But…oh my god, Jen. It says, ‘But most importantly, we want people to have fun with their food.’!”

They collapsed together, laughing so hard tears gathered in their eyes and they had to wipe the moisture to see.

Gulping in a deep breath, Jen leered, “I  _bet_  they want people to enjoy their balls. I mean, who doesn’t want to enjoy some nice savory round balls of meat every once in a while. And special sauces. Uh huh. Sauce. Sure.”

Josh laughed but she noticed he dipped his hand to the front of his jeans and shifted. Sometimes she forgot he had to worry about a physical reaction to dirty talk.

In an attempt to help him forget that and bypass an awkward situation, she asked, “So, we’re going to eat?”

“Yes,” he laughed. “According to the website, we need to ‘get our balls on.’”

She giggled again and allowed her head to fall on Josh’s shoulder. He leaned his against hers and smiled. Reaching toward over, he grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over the top in an attempt to make her feel better.

“You know I come back to Atlanta soon, right?” he murmured. She remained quiet, a clear indication of the depth of her feelings.

“C’mon, Jen. We’re going to be together the rest of the shoot. Isn’t that what you’ve been wanting?”

Jen straightened and moved toward the window which resulted in several inches of open space between them.

“Jen,” he pled.

She shook her head, her gaze locked on the people outside. She  _did_  want that, and that upset her more than anything.

“It’s just going to be different,” she lamented. “Everything’s different.”

Her voice faded as she spoke. A sob caught in the back of her throat and she closed her eyes against the emotions.

“That doesn’t mean it can’t still be good,” he argued. “We can still be fun again. We can still enjoy being together.”

“Yeah, but for how long, Josh?” She turned to look at him and the fear and sadness in her clear blue eyes felt like a punch to his chest. He longed to return to the previous year when they were both in Hawaii, both happy. Both single.

“How long until we have to recognize that our franchise bubble is gone?”

Josh shook his head in frustration. “Jennifer… It’s not even close yet. What happened to enjoying the time we do have? What happened to living in the moment?”

“What happened?” Her answer burst from her in anger. Her eyes spit fire at him, which she knew wasn’t fair. He’d made the effort to be here with her. He’d rearranged a number of things to make it happen. She wasn’t being fair to him.

The look in his eyes stopped her. The frustration and defeat she saw there drained every ounce of anger she felt. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head and turned to look out the window on his side of the cab. “Forget it.”

Jen tried to explain it. She tried to get the words to come out of her mouth, but she couldn’t. Instead, she watched him, his jaw clenching, his shoulders tensed until the cab pulled to a stop outside the park.

Josh paid quickly and turned to help her onto the sidewalk. With a determined look, he said, “We’re going to laugh at the balls now. No arguments.”

“Balls are laughable. I’ll give you that one,” she quipped.

With matching grins, they approached the Mighty Balls food truck. The menu was as funny to them this time as it had been months before.

“Great blue balls of fire! Are they kidding?” Jen gasped through her laughter.

Josh’s voice shook with barely concealed mirth when he joked, “First decide how you like them, Jennifer, and then pick your meat.”

“ _You_  pick your meat,” she teased.

The briskness of the winter day and the goofiness of the situation calmed them both, the disagreement between them forgotten, at least for the time being. They walked for a while; first around to the front of the New York City Public Library where they took selfies with the stone lion. Then they wound their way to Grand Central Station. They found a somewhat secluded corner and engaged in some serious people watching for over an hour.

As the setting sun slanted through the arched windows and created shadows on the floor and people rushing to trains, Josh glanced at Jen. Struck by the way the sunlight glinted off her short blonde hair and highlighted the tip of her nose, he reached up to tuck a stray strand behind her ear. She leaned into his hand and hummed her approval.

Softly, almost reverently, he asked, “Time to go? You want to grab dinner?”

She nodded. “Subway or cab?”

“You down for public transportation? We’re right here.”

“Sure. Which train?”

He glanced at his phone to study the subway map and said, “How about the green line? Trains 4, 5, or 6? They all go to the Village. We can get off at Bleecker. There should be some place decent to eat around there, and it’s not too far from the hotel.”

She nodded, and they wove through the crush of people to the turnstiles and boarded the crowded train, happy to lose themselves amidst the evening commuters. When they reached their stop, they exited and emerged into the air at the corner of Bleecker and the Bowery.

“Josh,” she said softly.

“Hmm?” he answered and nudged her with his elbow.

“Don’t hate me, but can we have Italian tonight? That place looks really good.” She pointed at a restaurant named Bianca’s. The smells emerging from the door made their stomachs grumble.

“Spaghetti and meatballs? Didn’t we already have enough balls today?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

She struggled to keep a straight face as they were seated and thanked the waitress who handed them their menus and filled the water glasses. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice them and they were able to dine in peace.

She grinned at him across the table as he regaled her with stories about his recent travels, his ski trip with his brother and dad, Christmas with his mom, and his recent bobble head night. His humor and sense of story-telling made her laugh. As he talked, she let her mind wander, soothed by the deep timbre of his voice, fascinated by the way his eyes reflected the light from the table lamps, the way his hands tore the pieces of bread as he dipped it in the oil and then lifted it to his mouth.

His beautiful mouth…

They hadn’t kissed since New Year’s Eve, and that suddenly seemed much too long ago.

Josh shot a crooked grin of thanks to the waitress as she set down their food—a plate of lasagna in front of her and spaghetti and meatballs for Josh. The waitress smiled back and said softly, “You guys were great in  _Catching Fire_. Enjoy your meal.”

They sipped their drinks, wine for her, beer for him, and talked as they ate. He reached toward her plate and took forkfuls of her lasagna, and she returned the favor. After the first few times, he pretended to stab her hand with his fork.

“Eat your own food, Jennifer!” As he spoke, he twirled his fork in his spaghetti and pulled out a gob of pasta. Holding it up, he watched as she grabbed the hanging strands in her mouth and unwound the spaghetti as he pulled his fork toward him.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhh!!! Jen! Lady and the Tramp! Let’s do it!”

He lifted his fork to his mouth and they happily munched the spaghetti, their heads moving closer and closer together.

As the space between their mouths decreased, the humor faded. Their eyes grew serious and flickered across the other’s faces. Josh paused, his lips closed around the spaghetti, and waited for her to make a decision. She hesitated too, her eyes wide with a hint of fear.

With a groan of surrender, she extended her neck and pressed her lips firmly against his. A jolt of electricity sparked between them and they pulled back. With inches separating them, they swallowed before their lips met again. He slanted his head to deepen the kiss and felt her release a soft whimper.

Her mouth opened under his and welcomed his tongue’s invasion. Her mouth was so warm and wet, he emitted a tiny moan. Lifting his hand to cup her face, he pulled her closer. He didn’t care if anyone saw them as long as she responded to his kiss. Something about her drew him in, made him forget everything but her, and drove him crazy. None of that mattered to him at that moment. All he wanted was to devour her, to meld himself to her so she knew how much he cared. If nothing else, so she’d know he hated to see any hint of sadness in her beautiful cerulean eyes.

Jen kissed him back with so much passion her heart pinged. She tried to block out everything but his lips on hers, but a tiny hint of fear nagged at her. They had to figure out what they were going to do. They couldn’t keep avoiding the problem of their real life relationships and act like nothing was happening between them, even if they’d only exchanged a few kisses in the past few months.

As his tongue caressed hers gently and his thumb massaged her cheek, he was suddenly gripped by the reality of their situation. They were in public. And, more importantly, they were both attached to other people.

He forced himself to break their kiss after delving deeply into her mouth one last time. He continued to hold her face, but he sat back from her as he heaved short breaths. Her eyes sparkled, despite the hint of frustration he saw there. The apples of her cheeks blushed a light pink, and she blew a thin stream of air between her trembling lips.

His back hit the booth and he released a deep breath. “Wow,” he muttered.

Jen didn’t speak. She had no idea what to say, and she didn’t want to blurt the wrong thing and drive a wedge between them. That had happened before after they wrapped in Hawaii, and she didn’t want to relive it.

As the silence stretched between them, she picked up her fork and stabbed a meatball. Holding it up to him, she asked, “Care if I take a bite out of your balls?”

Her words had the desired effect. A bark of laugher erupted from him, and he took a swig of his beer.

“Nah, baby,” he said. “You can eat my balls any time.”

She grinned at his likely unconscious use of the word baby and teased, “What if I lick the ball?”

She allowed the tip of her tongue to sweep up the side of the meatball and used her tongue to clean drops of marinara sauce from her lips.

He steeled himself and swallowed hard. “Sure,” he gulped. “Lick them all you want.”

The rest of dinner passed in comfortable teasing before they strolled through the Village and back to the hotel. As they stood at the doorway, their fingers intertwined, she glanced sideways at him. Josh’s wall was back up. He was friendly but slightly distant, just as he’d been since their second movie wrapped.

“Are you coming back up with me?” she asked. She tried to keep her voice steady, unwilling to acknowledge how much she wanted him to or the fear that he’d say no.

He shook his head and answered, “I don’t know. I have some things to think about. I might need some space.”

The clog in her throat hurt as she swallowed. She spoke timidly when she said, “You could think tomorrow.”

His shoulders sagged at her words. He couldn’t say no to her, and that was part of the problem. He’d tried to during the press tour, but he knew he’d hurt her more than he wanted to admit. She’d become much more vulnerable with him over the past year, and he was struggling to balance protecting himself with his ultimate desire to see her happy. He felt like he was failing miserably at both.

“Jen,” he said. “I don’t—”

“Please, Josh?” Her mouth dipped into a playful pout. “Didn’t we have a ball today?”

He snickered involuntarily. “God, that was bad. Bad puns are your forte, aren’t they?”

“I’m on the ball that way,” she deadpanned. “See what I did there?”

“Please stop. It’s getting worse.” She could always make him laugh, no matter how tense the situation.

Jen studied his eyes, watching the struggle reflected in his hazel depths. The brown threatened to eclipse the green, just as it always did when he was upset about something.

In the end, he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to make a decision that took him away from her, so he stayed. They talked until she drifted off; her head on the pillow just inches from his head, her hand resting lightly on his bicep. The inches between them seemed liked a deep chasm he couldn’t figure out how or if he should cross.

As he lay with his arm bent behind his head, he realized how ironically appropriate his order at the food cart had been earlier that day. Great blue balls indeed.


	5. Gutter Ball

“Jennifer! Come on!” Josh shook his head and rapped his knuckles against the door to Jen’s hotel room. He listened carefully but didn’t hear anything from inside. He knocked again a little louder and called, “We’re supposed to be in the lobby in two minutes to go bowling. C’mon!”

As he tapped the door for the third time, he felt it give under the back of his hand and saw her tired face appear in the two inch crack that opened as the door swung inward. She looked exhausted and not remotely interested in leaving the hotel room.

Josh pushed the door open gently and shook his head. “Nope! No excuses, lady. Change your clothes. I’ll text Liam and tell him we’ll be down in a few minutes. We’re going bowling. We talked about this all day. You’re not going to sleep at 6:45.”

“I’m tired, Josh. I don’t want to go,” she argued in a tired voice.

He grabbed some leggings and a cotton shirt from a pile on the dresser and tossed them at her. “Change.” His tone didn’t leave any room for argument, but she still didn’t move.

Her eyes clouded and she turned her back on him. “I just got off the phone.”

“Congratulations. Proud of you for hanging up. Let’s go,” he responded.

“I just got off the  _phone_ , Josh.”

Her frustrated bark almost brought him to his knees. He knew what that meant because he’d had the same conversation yesterday.

He moved to her and rubbed her shoulders and felt them relax slightly under his movements.

“You okay?”

She shook her head, her chin almost to her chest. “Were you?”

“Hey,” he said as he turned her to face him. He gazed into her troubled eyes and leaned forward to place a soft kiss of comfort on her lips. He brushed her hair back from her face with his right hand and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re gonna be okay.”

She nodded into his neck, but she didn’t seem any less upset.

“Did you leave it open?” he asked. He had, and he had a feeling she did, too.

“Yeah,” she admitted softly.

He hugged her neck with one arm and kissed the side of her head. Dropping his arm, he nodded. “Well, guess we’re in the same boat then. We’ll see how it goes, okay?”

Jen smiled half-heartedly at him. “Yeah.  We’ll see.” She sighed and then mumbled, “But you and I both know how things work with us.”

He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t help the twitch that pulled until a crooked smile crept into existence.

Ducking his head, he grinned in excitement. “Yeah, I do. And I’m not going to pretend I hope it doesn’t. It’s taken a lot to get to this point.”

Jen moved to the bathroom and changed while Josh sent a text to Liam informing him they’d be in the lobby soon. He turned to look out the window at the Atlanta skyline and whispered in triumph, “Fucking finally!”

The phone calls weren’t fun, but they were necessary. They’d tried long enough to deny how much they cared about each other. Neither of them wanted to keep playing with fire and end up hurting each other or those who would be most affected if he and Jen continued to be drawn together. A guaranteed working relationship for almost two more years made that pretty likely.

She emerged from the bathroom and glanced around for her shoes. He couldn’t help but say, “Feels like Hawaii.”

It didn’t. Atlanta was suffering one of its worst winters in decades and the temperatures had dropped into the thirties several times in the past few weeks, but Jen knew what he meant.

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, it kinda does.”

“Let’s go. Time for me to kick your ass in bowling.”

They joined the others in the lobby, but it didn’t seem that anyone noticed anything had changed between the two of them, except maybe Liam. He shot them a look but nodded when Josh gave an imperceptible shake of his head as a caution to leave it alone. There wasn’t any sense in drawing attention to his relationship status or hers. Single with the possibility of returning to the relationship wasn’t the easiest thing to explain to anyone, let alone the cast who’d watched their interactions over the past few years.

They entered the bowling alley with as much rowdiness as they did everything. The patrons looked at them, but most had the courtesy to leave them in peace. A few asked for pictures, and the cast happily obliged, but they were able to get down to the business of bowling pretty quickly.

Josh tied his shoes and straightened. “Nice shoes. Very pretty,” he tossed at Jen before he headed to the ball racks to find one to use. He picked up a bright orange 16 pound ball and slid his fingers into the holes to test the size. His thumb seemed a little bit tight, so he put it down and grabbed another.

He felt electricity shoot through his gut when her voice came from behind him. “That’s an awfully big ball you’ve got there, stud.”

He smirked at the one in his hands. “It is big,” he agreed. “But I’m more worried about the size of the holes. If the hole’s too tight, my fingers might not be able to slide in and out the way they’re supposed to.”

He looked over his shoulder at her and saw the heat in her eyes. He couldn’t resist adding, “The fingers should be able to fill the hole but glide in and out without any resistance.”

She swallowed hard and muttered, “Get your mind out of the gutter, Josh.”

“Why?” he snorted. “Your ball will be there soon enough.” Jen was a notoriously bad bowler—mostly because she really didn’t care. It was one of the few times she wasn’t competitive.

Slowly, she slid her fingers into the holes of a 12 pound hot pink ball and turned to face him. Holding it in front of her stomach, she said, “As long as I’m fondling your balls later, I don’t really give a shit.”

Josh’s mouth hung open as he watched her saunter back to the lane and rejoin the rest of the cast. He attempted to close his mouth several times, but he kept hearing her words echo through his mind and couldn’t. He knew she was still hurting, but comments like the one she just made were the reasons they’d both placed their phone calls. Something between them kept the heat ratcheted up so much they couldn’t keep denying it.

Bowling proved to be significantly harder than normal. Jen’s constant innuendos made it difficult for Josh to relax enough to do well. His constant fear that his physical reaction to her teasing was apparent to everyone made him squirm in between his turns. He managed to throw a few strikes and almost got a turkey until he heard Jen stage whisper to Liam, “Look!  Look what he’s doing. He cups it like a ball.” That was enough to throw him off so that he left one pin standing. She smirked at his glare, and Liam ducked his head to hide a grin. Josh was positive he realized the situation had changed between them.

Jen’s game was abysmal. She barely bothered to look as she threw the ball down the lane. Instead, she focused her attention on disrupting his concentration. As he prepared for the ninth frame on their third game, he felt her presence behind him. She tucked her chin over his shoulder and pressed her chest against his back. She reached her arms around him and covered his hands with hers.

“Hmmm… Your ball is so heavy, Josh. Firm too.”

Josh inhaled sharply as her warm breath tickled his ear. “Go get ’em, sexy. Toss that ball.” She swatted his ass lightly and returned to her seat, obviously pleased with herself.

He stood for several seconds with the ball raised to his chest. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and then took three deliberate steps, swung his arm behind him and then forward, and felt his fingers slide out of the holes. He watched as the bowling ball curved to the right and then straightened out to hit the number one pin and create enough pin action to knock down each of them. He turned with a smug look on his face and saluted her.

He swaggered back to the bench and dropped next to her. Leaning into her, he whispered in her ear, “You ready to get out of here after the next frame?”

She pressed against him and shot back, “I was ready to go when you were fondling all those balls and trying to figure out which one to use. It gave me ideas.”

Josh swore under his breath and stood to take his last turn. He barely concealed his impatience as he bowled the first shot and then tapped his fingers waiting for the ball return. As soon as he bowled his third ball, he slipped off his rented shoes and grabbed his belongings. He caught Jen’s eye and motioned toward the door with a slight nod of his head.

She played it a little cooler than he did and made sure to bid the rest of the cast casual farewells. Her patience allowed for them to escape alone together with much less attention than if he’d done what he wanted, which was to grab her hand and drag her from the bowling alley and back to their hotel.

When they exited into the fresh air, their steps quickened until they had to force themselves not to break into a run. The three blocks seemed like 100 miles to him as he quickened his stride and rested his palm on the small of her back. Entering the hotel lobby, they crossed to the elevator bank and punched the button to call one.

“My room or yours?” he asked.

“Mine,” she answered without hesitation.

The door to her room had barely closed behind them when their mouths found each other’s. Frantically, he pushed her against the wall and opened his over hers, caressing her lips with his and rubbing their tongues together. Her eagerness for him made him groan as he fought to keep himself from ripping her clothes from her and slamming her against the wall. As much as he wanted her, he couldn’t forget the haunted look in her eyes when she’d told him she’d placed her phone call. He knew he wasn’t a rebound, but he didn’t want to act like one either.

His left hand cupped her jaw and angled her head so he could delve deeper into her mouth, his jaw flexing as he moved his lips against hers. She tasted sweet from the gum she’d chewed as they were walking, and he couldn’t get enough.

She whimpered against him and dropped her hand to the front of his jeans. She cupped him through the denim and smiled against his lips when his breath caught in the back of his throat. He choked and broke their kiss for a millisecond before his lips pressed back against hers.

His hand caressed her hip and then moved to cup her backside the way he had the bowling ball earlier. As her hand rubbed against his growing bulge, the memory of their conversation flashed through his mind.

With a groan of surrender, he slipped his hand into the band of her black leggings and curved his middle finger to slide it into her heat. She gasped at his invasion, but she pulsed around him and rocked into his hand to gain more friction. A grunt ripped from him as he flexed his finger, moving it in and out of her wetness and enjoyed the sucking sound it made as he thrust again and again.

She ripped her lips from his and commanded, “More,” before shoving her tongue into his mouth and working it against his. Pulling his hand free, he spread her arousal to her clit and rubbed it gently. When she groaned in protest and thrust against him, he slipped back into her, this time with two fingers.

“Augh…” she moaned in between kisses. “Yes, Josh,” she keened as she moved her mouth along his jaw. He felt her pulsing against him, but she wanted more.

“Add another, baby,” she whined in need. “Just like the bowling ball.”

He pulled her closer with his palm cupping the back of her neck and slipped a third finger inside her heat.

It felt like he’d waited forever for this, forever for them to both be able to act on how they felt about each other with no restrictions and no guilt. The feel of her body against his coupled with her feminine scent made her grip on his fingers even more erotic. Fluid from her arousal leaked around his fingers, which almost brought him to his knees. He could both hear and feel the suction as he fingered her, his hand imitating what he wanted to do with his dick.

Panting, she released eager whimpers. “I…  Shit, please!”

He quickened his pace and groaned as she sputtered expletives at his ministrations. 

Placing his lips next to her ear, he growled, “You like being my bowling ball, Jen? You like my fingers buried inside you? Sliding in and out?”

Tiny yelps of desire garbled in the back of her throat as she tossed her head from side to side, her eyes unfocused from her enjoyment. She wasn’t making any sense as she cursed and panted his name. The way she lost control with him made him rigid with want. The thought of satisfying her completely spurred him to keep going.

He plunged in and out without breaking his pace, determined and eager to feel her fall apart against him after three and a half years of foreplay. He curved his fingers and felt her tense. Twice more and she threw her head back against the wall and moaned so loudly it rocked through his chest. She pulsed around him, soaking his fingers as he continued to shove in and out of her heat.

“Yes, baby,” he crooned. “Come on, baby. Keep coming for me. Forget everything but us. It’s just us now. Nobody else. I’ve got you. I promise I’ve got you.”

Her jaw hung slack as her eyes half closed, and she climaxed around his hand again. Pleasure so intense it looked like pain covered her face. He kept going, his own pressure building from the excitement of getting her off.

She pulled him tighter against her as she shook. “Josh,” she begged. “Josh. Josh? Jo—” His name was only halfway out when her breath caught in a sharp moan. Whimpering uncontrollably, she sagged against him as her legs shook from the intensity of her orgasm.

“Jennifer,” he moaned. “Fuck, baby. You’re so sexy. Shit, I love making you happy.”

Still pressed against him, she panted against his neck, her warm breath shooting pangs of heat straight to his groin. Her hand trembled as she tucked it inside his underwear and ran her fingers lightly over the underside of his balls. His ragged breathing indicated his desperation for her. A growl of longing rumbled through his chest when she palmed him.

A shrill ringing erupted from her jacket pocket. They both jumped, shaken from their passion-induced daze. Jen continued to cup him, but the ringing shook their concentration enough that Josh created a fraction of separation between them and insisted, “Your phone, Jen. Make it stop.”

She shook her head against him indicating her determination to focus on him, but the phone kept ringing. After ten times, it stopped and they both sighed in relief. She increased the pressure of her hand on him when it began again.

“Dammit!” she cursed, obviously irritated and pulled away from him to reach into her pocket and see who’d interrupted them.

Her face drained of color but softened at the same time. “It’s my mom,” she breathed.

Josh sighed in disappointment. Reluctantly, he slid his fingers out of her, reveling in her slickness and his part in getting her there. He adjusted himself with his left hand and crossed to the sink to grab a towel. He wiped his fingers and then stood with his palms flat on the counter, his head down as he attempted to slow the rush of blood to his cock.

He could hear her in the next room talking to her mom. She was speaking softly, probably in an attempt to spare his feelings.

“I had to, Mom. I couldn’t keep doing this.”

A few minutes of silence passed before she spoke again. “Yes, he knows. He’s here.”

That was enough to do it. He softened considerably when he realized her mom knew Jen had made her phone call. The phone call that had ultimately resulted in him getting Jen off against a wall in a hotel room.

There was absolutely no logical reason he should feel anything other than satisfaction, but he had to be honest with himself and recognize that there was a hint of shame underneath it all. Not for acting on his feelings with her, but for being so aggressive when her feelings were still so raw.

She continued to confide in her mother, allowing him the time to calm down. It didn’t sound like the conversation was anywhere near over, so he pushed himself back from the counter and walked over to her. She was perched on the side of the bed, her toes keeping her from sliding off, with her phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear. She was struggling to take off her jacket as she talked.

He grabbed a sleeve and helped her remove it before dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. He backed away and motioned his intention to leave.

Her eyes filled with hurt and she shook her head at him. When he continued, she said, “Hold on for a second, Mom,” and then covered the phone with her hand so her mother couldn’t hear.

“Where are you going?” she hissed, obviously not pleased he was leaving.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he answered, “Just back to my room, Jen. You should talk to your mom. This is a huge game-changer for us, and we should deal with the potential ramifications and loose ends so there are never regrets.”

She gazed at him with sad, wide eyes.

“I won’t ever regret you,” she said.

He smiled softly. “I won’t regret you either, which is why I’m going back to my room and letting you work through some things. There’s time. When it happens, I want you only thinking about me, not about the big decision you’ve just made.”

She nodded in reluctant acceptance. “We’ll talk later?”

“Of course,” he agreed. “We always do.”

He crossed to the door and turned to look at her. The pink tint in her cheeks hinted at her earlier arousal, and that pleased him.

“Tell your mom I said hi, okay?”

She moved her hand from the phone and said, “Josh says hi, Mom.”

As he entered the bright hallway, he heard her say, “No. He was just leaving.”

But he wasn’t leaving. He was only going to his room to give her some time. Now that things were different, he had no intention of ever leaving her again.


	6. Boudin Balls

“I’m starving.”

Jen eyed Josh with hungry eyes, and he quirked an eyebrow at her with a questioning look.

“For food,” she clarified.

“Oh,” came Josh’s dejected reply. They’d been very careful with each other the past few weeks in the aftermath of the night they’d gone bowling and lost control in her hotel room. It had been Josh’s choice to go back to his own room that night and let her have some space to work through things on the phone with her mom, but she’d kept her distance since then. They still hung out, but she was holding back, careful to keep things strictly platonic.

Maybe he shouldn’t have given her so much space. Maybe she was too much in her own mind at this point.

She ducked her head and swallowed hard before speaking. “You want to get dinner tonight? Maybe it’s time we reconnected.”

His head jerked up, and he looked at her with guarded eyes. They flickered across her face, showing a spark of hope when he asked, “Really?”

She smiled at him, a soft smile that lifted the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, I think it’s time, don’t you? I’ve missed you.”

“It’s so past time,” he blurted as he covered the space between them in seconds, taking her in his arms and kissing her with ferocity.

She melted into him, hungry for his touch. It had been much too long since his fingers caressed her.

Before they could lose themselves, she pulled away. “I need food, Joshy. I must have sustenance.”

He pulled back and smirked at her. “Sustenance, huh? You’re getting all fancy on me. How much did that word cost you?”

“How about a dinner date? Since I make so much more than you in this franchise, I’ll spring for it,” she teased with a wink.

He nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her from their dressing room trailer and to his car. When they settled into the front seats, he intertwined his fingers with hers and breathed in her ear, “I’m perfectly happy to be a kept man.”

She allowed her head to settle on his shoulder and tightened her grip on his hand.

“Where are we eating?” she asked. Her stomach growled at her words. It had been a long day on set, and she wanted some food.

“Hmmm… well, it is Fat Tuesday. Any interest in Cajun food?”

“Sure, but how can that compare to Mighty Balls in New York? Does Cajun food even have any balls? Because you know how I like balls. Especially yours.”

“We’ll see,” he answered with evident amusement.

Josh used his phone to research quickly and found a Pappadeaux’s in Marietta.

“Perfect,” he said. “We can escape the city and hide in the suburbs for a while.”

The restaurant was crowded, but the manager made an effort to seat them quickly and as out of the way as possible so they were able to have some privacy in such a public place. After they were seated, Jen surveyed the menu and sighed in disappointment.

“What’s wrong?” Josh asked. His worried eyes caressed her face in an attempt to soothe her.

She pouted and said, “There aren’t any balls here, Josh. I mean, yours are, and they’re pretty nice, but I wanted to eat some.”

Josh shook his head and muttered under his breath just loudly enough for her to hear, “You’ve got to be shitting me.” The waiter appeared just then, and Josh spoke before Jen could say anything. “Sorry, sir, do you have any balls on the menu?”

“Excuse me?” the waiter asked. Jen snickered at his bewildered expression and the way his hands shook as he attempted to fill their water glasses.

“Balls,” she added. “Meatballs? Any ball-shaped food?”

He nodded in understanding and said, “Balls. Got it.Yes, we have boudin, sometimes called boudin balls.”

Josh and Jen exchanged a look and Josh quipped, “Tell us more about these boudin balls.”

The waiter pointed to the appetizer portion of the menu and explained that boudin were balls of pressed meat. Josh placed his finger on his mouth in mock studiousness before ordering the appetizer; he had to squash his lips together to keep from snickering.

Once the waiter walked away with their full order, Jen burst out in laughter. “Balls of pressed meat!” she sputtered. “It’s better than just plain meatballs. The balls are pressed!”

Josh’s laughter ebbed faster than Jen’s, and he pointed out, “Jen, I hate to remind you of this, but it’s not exactly fun when balls are pressed too hard. Fondled, yes. Caressed, yes. Sucked, yes. Bitten, maybe if it’s lightly, but pressed? That’s close to ball crushing, and that’s not fun at all.”

The amusement faded from her face and was replaced by heat. “I won’t crush yours,” she said before joking, “Now some of those other things… I promise to do those instead.”

Josh swallowed hard and turned his attention to the bread on the table. The waiter knew to bring the food as it was prepared rather than the appetizers and then the food. Jen had insisted on that, but that meant there was only bread to eat at the moment. She tore off a hunk of it, chewed on it, and eyed him. The tips of his ears were tinged pink in embarrassment, and she suddenly felt a rush of compassion for him.

“I’m sorry, Josh,” she said softly. “I’m not trying to torture you.”

He shook his head and lifted his eyes to hers. “I know you’re not.” His voice was barely audible in the noisy restaurant. The longing she saw there hurt her heart. It was time for her to show him how much she wanted him.

The waiter brought the food just then, which broke the tension between them. Their conversation flowed as they consumed drinks and food. They were both so hungry that they practically inhaled their entrees before turning their attention to the boudin. Jen eyed them before plunging her fork into one of the balls and raising it to study the pressed meat.

“Gotta admit,” she drawled, “They don’t look terribly appetizing.”

He laughed and stabbed one for himself. “C’mon, Jen. It’s meat. Since when have you not liked meatballs?”

She shrugged and took a bite before moaning in appreciation. With her eyes half closed in ecstasy, she groaned, “My god… boudin balls are heaven.” She swallowed and eagerly ate the rest before grabbing a second one.

Josh watched her in amusement with obvious approval of her enthusiasm. He chewed while she ate a second one greedily.

She couldn’t help it when she took a third one and ran it across her bottom lip. His eyes widened as her tongue flicked against the ball, and she placed it in her mouth. Puckering her lips around it, she made a show of sucking on it.

He narrowed his eyes at her and muttered, “So much for not teasing me.”

She shot him a wink and pulled the entire ball into her mouth before closing her full lips around the tines of the fork.

“Let’s get out of here,” he snapped, his arm raised to signal the waiter. His other hand dug out his wallet, and he handed the waiter a few twenties and told him to keep the change.

She protested, “I was going to pay! You’re supposed to be a kept man!”

He shoved his wallet back in his pocket and grabbed her hand. “Keep me happy when we’re in private, and I’ll buy every meal you eat from now on,” he spit as he dragged her from the restaurant to his car.

Josh practically ripped the door off the car and pushed her into the passenger seat with a rough shove against her ass. He nearly ran to the driver’s side and gunned the engine before Jen could get her seatbelt fastened.

“Easy there, tiger,” she said. “Slow down. I’d rather not die tonight.”

Without a word, Josh sped down Windy Hill Drive, pulling into the wooded area bordering the Chattahoochee River that wound itself through Marietta just a few blocks from the restaurant. When he found a secluded spot, he slammed the car into park and grabbed her before she could think.

His mouth crushed hers, and she let out a muffled protest but quickly succumbed to him. His hands grabbed at her, his desperation turning her on as much as his chest against hers. He kissed her as if she was the only food he’d seen for months and he’d die without it. His hands tangled in her hair and alternately cupped her breasts and ass in a frantic attempt to find her bare skin.

Jen kissed him back with a passion she hadn’t felt since he’d buried his fingers inside her and brought her to climax three times against her hotel room’s wall. She opened under his lips and welcomed his tongue into her mouth. Her hands twisted in the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled him closer to her. His familiarity, his steadiness, his loving acceptance of her no matter how crazy she acted all combined to make her completely secure in taking this step with him.

Josh groaned loudly when her tongue caressed the side of his, and she pulled back to look at him. Lust shone in his eyes and a determined look she’d never seen was reflected on his face. He gulped several times and spoke in a low growl, “Take your clothes off, Jennifer. Take them off right now, or I will fucking rip them off you.”

She pulled away from him and tore her sweater over her head in seconds. Josh peeled his shirt off quickly before unbuttoning his pants and shoving them down past his hips and reclining his seat back as far as it would go. He pulled her across the car and onto him. They groaned in unison at the feel of their skin against each other, his chest hair tickling the curve of her breasts.

“Fuck, baby. Shit,” he moaned as his fingers slid between her legs to prime her for what was to come despite her apparent readiness. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, and she pushed against him, desperate for him to relieve the ache between her legs. She didn’t need any help preparing tonight. She’d been ready for him for months. She threw her head back as he pushed into her, his thrusts mimicking his actions a few weeks prior.

“Josh!” she cried as her leg rubbed against his rigid dick. “God, Josh, stop teasing me and fuck me already.”

He shifted her over him and emitted a rumbling groan when she enveloped him. As she settled on him, they both froze, their eyes locked on each other, jaws slack as they realized it was finally happening.

“Jen,” he whispered, his tone reverent with a hint of desperate want.

Despite the frantic desire between them, Jen could see the depth of his feelings in his eyes. He loved her, and she loved him, even if they weren’t anywhere close to admitting it to each other yet. Their desperation stemmed from denying their desire for so long; not from a short-lived lust.

She moved against him and allowed her eyes to droop as her body reacted to his dick buried deep inside her. He sucked in his breath and closed his eyes, his mouth continuing to gape. She could see his tongue flicking past his lips when he panted. Seeing his reaction to her turned her on more, and she bucked faster on top of him.

“Harder!” she demanded. “Harder, Josh!  _Harder_!” Her command turned into a whine when he thrust upward into her and matched her rhythm.

His hands settled on her hips before drifting backward to cup her ass and pull her so her clit hit his hard length as she rode him. His mouth closed over her right nipple and sucked it until it was so hard she could cut glass with it. She spread her legs wider so she could sink onto him further and felt his head hit her wall. With a yelp, she sped up until she was thrashing on top of him.

The inside of the car felt like a furnace as their bodies burned together. Jen matched Josh’s grunts with soft gasps. Their skin slapped together, but that was nothing compared to the wet sound of her pussy grasping him as he slid in and out of her.

“Jen, I can’t hold out much longer, baby. God, you feel so good. Oh, fuck!” he groaned before laying a trail of hot kisses down her neck to the hollow in her collarbone. His tongue dipped into the space before he found her lips again, pulling her lower lip in between his teeth. He bit her playfully, which made her whimper with longing.

She ground her knees harder into the seat to slam against him, pulsing around him as he ran his index finger along the valley of her ass cheeks. She’d gasped when she first sank onto him because she wasn’t used to feeling him inside her. But she seemed to fit him like a glove, like he’d been made specifically to fill every crevice inside of her. Giving in, she tensed against him and ripped her mouth away to release a high pitched scream of his name.

Wails of ecstasy fell from her as she slammed onto him. “Oh… More.  _Harder_. Keep going,” she begged. “Josh, please. Now!”

“Jennifer!” he bellowed as he came, his entire body convulsing under her with the power of his orgasm. A string of expletives filled the car as they writhed against each other, the sweat from their bodies melding their skin together.

“Josh,” she chanted repeatedly, unable to form any words but his name as her insides exploded in a series of internal fireworks while she continued to ride him. His groans sounded inhuman as he wrapped his arms around her and held onto her thrusting body until she finished. With her trembling in his embrace, he shuddered from the intensity of his climax.

She jerked against him several more times and rode out her orgasm before collapsing onto him with her nose buried in his neck and her lips grazing his warm skin. Her body shook in the aftermath of their coupling which sent shivers through her despite the heat their bodies had generated. She panted against him, her breath raising goose bumps on his skin. She felt a bead of sweat trail down the back of her neck from the edge of her short hair down to the curve of her shoulder.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she gasped when she could speak again.

He laughed, although without humor, and groaned, “My god. Jen…” He paused to gulp in a breath and then admitted, “You blew my mind. I can barely move.”

His fingers trailed up and down her back and over her hips with a gentleness she couldn’t comprehend after their frenzied fucking. How was it possible he could be both someone who cherished her so much and someone so powerful at the same time? She placed tender kisses on the underside of his jaw and smiled softly when he nuzzled closer to her.

They settled into a comfortable silence together driven by the afterglow of sex and only broken by the sound of their haggard breathing. She sucked in a lungful of air that seemed to enhance her euphoric state. Josh continued to hold her, but ducked his head to kiss her neck in a trail, connecting her freckles and beauty marks with his lips and tongue in a constellation of affection.

“Josh,” she whispered against his neck.

He nestled his cheek against her head and answered in contentment, “Hmmm?”

“That was worth waiting for,” she told him with complete sincerity.

His arms tightened around her, and he returned, “You’re worth every frustration I’ve ever had. I’d relive every single one of them if it meant I got to end up right here again.”

She lifted her head to look at him and saw the honesty shining in his golden green eyes. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his in a kiss that expressed her appreciation for his goodness.

When she pulled back, he glanced around him and cursed. “Jen, we need to get dressed and get out of here. The last thing we need is for someone to catch us. The press will have a field day if they get wind of this.”

Despair washed over her at his words, and she shrugged out of his arms, crawling back into the passenger’s seat to dress. “I hate this,” she admitted.

His intake of breath shook her out of her spiral, and she immediately reached over to lay her hand on his arm. “Not us, Josh. Not this,” she explained as she motioned between the two of them. “I meant having to be careful and not get caught.”

He released a shuddered gulp and nodded. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Hey,” she said softly and waited for him to look at her. When he did, she smiled and suggested, “Let’s go to my place and do this again in a real bed. You know, with pillows and a soft mattress and room to try different positions or something.” When he didn’t say anything, she shrugged her shoulders and laughed, “You know, if you want this to be more than a one-time thing.”

He slipped his t-shirt back over his head and restarted the engine. “You know I do,” he stated.

“Good,” she said with a gaze out the window. She released a contented sigh into the darkness.

As he shifted the car into gear and turned it toward her place, she reached over to grab his hand again. “You know, Josh, I do have one regret about this,” she said in a pensive tone.

He glanced at her with a crooked smile on his face. “What’s that?”

“I regret that I didn’t get to keep my promise.”

“And what promise was that?” he asked without missing a beat.

“The promise to fondle your balls.”

He bit his bottom lip to stifle a groan and shook his head. He let go of her hand and slid his in between her thighs and clasped her leg. With a gentle squeeze, he said, “Let’s go take care of that then.”

Smiling gleefully, she chuckled, “First boudin balls and then Josh’s. Not a bad Mardi Gras at all.”

“How ’bout I promise to give you some beads if you show me your tits again?” he offered.

“As long as they’re big beads. You know, big enough that they’re pretty much…”

“Balls,” the said in unison.


	7. Breaking Ball

                                                

“Hey, Jennifer! Will you bring me a beer?” Josh finished a text message and tossed his phone onto the couch cushion next to him.

 

The sound of a cabinet slamming and the refrigerator opening reached his ears, and he could hear Jen grunt as she bumped her hip against the fridge to close it. Even though he couldn’t see her, he was sure that’s what was happening. He’d seen her do that so many times over the course of the past few years.

 

“Lazy ass,” she teased him as she leaned against the wall between the two rooms. His eyes snapped from the TV to her, and he gulped at her casual stance. Feeling breathless when he saw her wasn’t new, but his chest tightened just a little bit more since that glorious Tuesday a month ago when he buried himself inside her and their relationship changed forever.

 

“Hmmm…  I like _your_ ass,” he joked and winked at her. When he patted his lap, she moved across the room and settled into it. Their lips met in soft, sweet kisses and her arms tightened around his neck and his around her waist until the crack of a bat on the TV broke them apart.

 

“ _Yes_!!!” he exclaimed and gave a fist pump. “Home run for the Reds!”

 

Jen kissed his forehead affectionately and handed him the glass beer bottle. “Go Reds,” she chuckled.

 

He took a swig of beer and tightened his arm around her waist and pinched the skin on her hip. “Don’t hate, baby. I’m attached to my Reds. I’m an honorary part of the team since I tossed the first pitch there.”

 

“You mean since you threw the ball into the dirt? Let’s be honest, babe. You tanked on that whole first pitch thing. My little wimpy man can’t get the pitch over the plate.”

 

His face tightened, and he retorted, “It was a breaking ball, Jen. I screwed up my fingers and threw it into the dirt. I should have stuck with a fast ball.”

 

“A breaking ball, huh? I think it was a busted ball.”

 

Josh tensed but managed to keep his mouth shut. It took her a minute to figure out he was upset.

 

Running a finger down his nose and bopping him on the tip, she asked softly, “You know I’m teasing you, right? You know I’d fall on my face and drop the ball behind me if I tried to pitch. I know you’re athletic, Josh.”

 

He sighed and looked at her. “I know you’re teasing. Doesn’t mean it’s any less humiliating. I almost said no when they asked me to do it again in a couple of weeks.”

 

It took a second for his words to register, but she pulled back to look at him head on. “Are you serious?”

 

With a grin, he nodded. “In a couple of weekends before we leave for Europe. You want to go? We’re both going to be in Kentucky that weekend, and the whole gang’s going to be there. You’re welcome to come, too. In fact, I’d really love it if you did.”

 

“Hmmm…” She leaned in to kiss the hollow behind his left ear and smiled when he sighed. She pulled back to look at him and said, “How about I make you a deal?”

 

His eyes flickered over face and down to the curve that peaked over the neckline of her tank top. With an unconscious lick of his lips, he murmured, “What’s that?”

 

“I’ll go with you,” she said and then raised her hand to silence him when he started to speak. “I’ll go with you if—” Her eyes flashed. She loved a challenge. “If I can make a baseball bet with you.”

 

“A bet, huh?”

 

She nodded and ran her fingers through his blonde hair. “A bet.”

 

His hands slipped under her shirt, and his eyes darkened when his thumb caressed her nipple and she gasped.

 

“Tell me about this bet,” he breathed against the column of her neck, his lips leaving a trail of wet kisses against her skin.

 

She pulled her tank over her head and framed his jaw with her hands. In a breathy whisper, she said, “How about I tell you after you make me lose my mind?”

 

“I like that idea. A lot. My balls aren’t busted _or_ broken. I’ll prove it.”

 

His mouth opened over hers, and she sank into the couch cushions as he moved on top of her. Her hand slipped into the waistband of his shorts, and he groaned into her mouth when her soft palm grazed the head of his cock before cupping his balls and pulling on them until he felt them tingle.

 

“That feels so fucking good,” he said in a broken moan, his breath rushing from his mouth.

 

Jen’s eyes, half-open and shining with want, caught his, and he couldn’t react fast enough. He shoved his shorts past his hips and wiggled them free before grabbing her skimpy cotton panties and dragging them from her. His middle finger dipped into her slit, and he swirled his finger in the moisture there. Her legs fell open for him, and he plunged into her until her breath caught in her throat.

 

“That’s right, baby,” he said. “Let me make you happy. Let me make you happy over and over and over.”

 

Jen lifted her hips to accept his hand deeper inside her. Her head rolled languidly from side to side against the arm of the couch. It took an enormous amount of concentration for her to say, “You’ve been making me happy for the past month, Josh. You haven’t stopped making me happy, hon.”

 

“Hmmm…” Josh managed to control the blood rushing to his cock long enough to escape the fog of lust he felt every time he was with her. The brief moment of clarity allowed him to create a plan to drive her beyond distraction.

 

Pulling his hand from her, he wiped his fingers on the side of his thigh and cupped her neck with his left hand. When she protested him stopping, he silenced her with a deep kiss. “Shhh,” he buzzed against her lips. “I’m getting to first base with you.”

 

A soft bubble of laughter escaped her. Her lips moved against his insistent ones before she could point out, “I’m naked. I think we’re a lot further than first base.”

 

“True. We are. Now we’re at second.” He moved down her body until his lips puckered around her nipple and sucked it into the warm cavern of his mouth. Her back arched so he’d take her deeper, and she screamed with longing when the tip of his tongue flicked across her peak.

 

“Shit, I like second.”

 

“Yeah?” he asked before moving to her other breast and laving it with the flat of his tongue. At her whimper, he sucked harder until she clawed at his shoulder and pulled his hair until he grunted in pain. When he yelped, she loosened her grip and mumbled an apology.

 

“S’okay, baby,” he said softly. He worried the soft peak until it stiffened to a point and then released it with a kiss.

 

Her face registered nothing but acceptance of his actions, so he ran the tip of his tongue down her navel, circled her belly button, and traced down to the juncture of her legs. Nudging the small patch of hair softly with his nose, he ghosted his lips across her wetness.

 

She moaned again, and he responded, “I bet you’ll like third base even more.”

 

Parting her with his fingers, he dipped his tongue into the crevice and wriggled it until he heard broken moans and pleas for her release. He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed, a sign of comfort as she tensed and squirmed under him. She smelled so good that he couldn’t help but nuzzle deeper into her, enjoying the wetness that covered his mouth and chin.

 

“Josh, please,” she begged.

 

He blew on her folds and smiled as she shuddered beneath him and goosebumps broke out across her torso.

 

“Ready for the home run, Jen?”

 

“Get your dick inside me, Josh. Now.”

 

He took his time moving back up her naked body. His fingers grazed her skin lightly, enjoying the softness of her. Looping his arms under her knees, he dipped his lips to her neck and slid into her heat.

 

“Deeper, baby. Deeper,” she moaned.

 

He thrust into her harder, but she wasn’t satisfied. “Deeper, dammit! Balls deep, Josh,” she said with a smack against his ass. If he hadn’t been in so caught up in the feel of her surrounding him, he would have laughed at her double entendre about his balls.

 

With a groan of surrender, he gave into her with the recognition that every time he thought he was in charge, the chemistry between them shattered his control. They moved together, bucking frantically, sweat beading on their foreheads, dewy skin pressed against each other until his body tightened and he grunted into her ear, “Home run, Jen. Come for me.”

 

A soft grunt caught in her throat as she arched into and pulsed around him. His mind whirled as her walls caressed him, milking him until he was empty. “Fuck, Jennifer,” he groaned.

 

Their gasps and pants eventually eased into deeper breaths as their heart rates decreased and they returned to normal. A loud cheer from the crowd at the Great American Ball Park caused Josh to raise his head from the crook of Jen’s neck so he could see the screen. He grinned when he saw one of the Reds trotting the bases after knocking a ball across the fence.

 

“Home runs all around,” he chuckled into the hollow of her neck.

 

She tugged the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch so that it covered them and snuggled deeper into his arms. “So about that bet,” she reminded him.

 

“I’m scared to find out,” he admitted, his eyes catching the humor in hers.

 

“Aw, don’t be scared, Joshy. I’ll go with you to the game. And if you get the ball across the plate, I’ll kiss you in public.”

 

His head shot up to look at her. “Are you serious? You’ll announce our relationship on the jumbo-tron at the ballpark?”

 

“Yup,” she agreed. “But I know you, and that’s too easy for you—despite you hitting the dirt last time. So, if you throw a fastball, and that means faster than seventy miles per hour, I’ll grope your ass in the box during the game. And when I say ass, I mean your dick, too.”

 

His cock jumped at the thought of her hands covering him in public. “So, a fastball is second base then. Keep going.”

 

“Third base is a blowjob in the bathroom, and you have to throw a knuckle ball to get that. Throw a knuckle ball and get it over the plate.”

 

“Dammit, Jen. You’re going to kill me.”

 

Her fingers traced the dip of his spine from between his shoulder blades to the curve of his backside. “Oh, baby. I don’t want to kill you. I just want to break you a little bit. And speaking of breaking… If you throw a breaking ball, well that’s a home run. And if you get a home run, then I’ll do anything you want when we get back from the game.”

 

“Anything?” he squeaked.

 

Dropping a kiss on the top of his blonde head, she agreed, “Anything.”

 

It was that promise that drove him to practice every day after they were done shooting—even when his exhaustion threatened to overtake him. It was that promise that resulted in him throwing dozens of pitches during his breaks and hundreds of pitches a day. He threw fastballs and knuckle balls and breaking balls, deciding to concentrate on all three options so he could see which would be the closest to being comfortable on the day they’d settle their bet.

 

As the shoot neared its end in Atlanta, Josh grew more and more nervous until Jen almost regretted making the bet with him in the first place.

 

On the day of the game, she drove the short distance to meet him and his friends and family so she could join him for the game. She engulfed him in a tight hug and whispered “I missed you” into his ear before pulling back to greet his dad and brother as well as his close circle of friends, Jarod, Heather, and Andre.

 

They rode hand in hand to the stadium, and she was willing to admit she was curious which option he was planning to try. With a squeeze, she asked softly, “Which base are you aiming for, Josh? What kind of ball are you hoping to toss?”

 

He smiled tightly, his nerves continuing to jump, and answered, “You’ll just have to wait to find out, Jennifer. We still have to get through the stadium tour and all that first. That’s what freaked me out so much last time—going through the stadium and then meeting the players. These guys are professional athletes. I’m a short kid from Kentucky who can act alright.” His words were laced with a hint of bitterness, and she locked her eyes with his.

 

“You are amazing, Josh. Don’t ever doubt yourself. You make everything wonderful.”

 

The fierceness in her eyes forced his lips into a soft smile, and he leaned over to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “Thanks, Jen. As much as you give me shit, I know you love me.”

 

She hummed in response, and he asked with genuine curiosity, “Which pitch do _you_ want me to try?”

 

She considered his question for a minute and admitted, “I just want you to get it over the plate. I’m sure there are better ways to announce that we’re together, but I’d rather people know at this point instead of having to hide it.”

 

They arrived at the stadium then and joined his friends, dad, and brother in a tour of the stadium. Being in the familiar surroundings relaxed him so that he could joke and kid with the people around him, but it was in the dugout just before the teams entered the field that Josh decided which pitch he was going to try. Jen perched in front of him on the bench, and he glanced down at her short blonde hair that curved softly along the nape of her neck. The way she tilted her head made his mouth dry from want, and he raised his eyes to meet the camera with a smile that mirrored the surety of his decision.

 

Time seemed to blur after that as the Reds’ officials hustled them from the dugout and to their box and him to his place on the field. The crowd roared when the announcer introduced him over the loudspeaker, and he trotted to the mound with the baseball tucked safely into his glove.

 

He closed his eyes to block out the noise, gripped the ball, and spread his fingers to the appropriate position. He wound the pitch and let it fly, straight toward the home plate and sighed in relief when it dropped and curved right as it reached the plate. The crowd roared, and he received the ball from Brandon Phillips, his favorite player. It had been two years since he’d thrown the opening pitch into the dirt, and he was glad to have redeemed himself.

 

“Nice job, Josh,” the second baseman said. “A breaking ball, too. I’m impressed.”

 

“Thanks, man,” Josh replied with a hand clasp and slap on the back before heading to the sidelines so he could join Jen and the rest in the box.

 

She shot him a look when he entered the suite and waited for his dad and brother to congratulate him before addressing him once he’d settled beside her.

 

“You just had to go for it all, huh, Josh? What in the hell do you have in mind for when we’re alone together later?” Her frustration was apparent, and she felt pricks behind her eyes.

 

He reached over to grab her hand and squeezed it before releasing it and pulling her into a tight hug.

 

“Hear me out, Jen,” he pled. “I thought about what you said. I did, and I considered just trying to make it over the plate this time. But then I realized that I don’t want the world to find out this way. I want to make sure we’re ready for it so we can handle the response—especially from the press. The last thing I want is for the tabloids to go crazy and us be caught up in something that steals our relationship from us and twists it into something we’re not. You matter too much to me for that to happen.”

 

Her eyes softened at his words, and she blinked to ease the pressure in her head.

 

His gaze held hers as he continued. “The fastball was too easy, and besides, grabbing my ass in front of my dad is a little creepy. We deserve better than that too because what if cameras are pointed our way and rumors get started? And the knuckleball was completely out of the question. You’re not going to get down on your knees in a dirty bathroom and suck my dick. You know I’ve got nothing against a blowjob, but something about doing it in a public bathroom makes me cringe. You’re Jennifer Lawrence, not a girl sucking off her jock boyfriend in the high school bathroom because there’s nowhere else to go.”

 

Josh smiled and wiped a drop of moisture from the side of her eye. With a look of adoration he finished, “So a breaking ball was the only option. Because _you_ are my only option. You are what matters to me, and the breaking ball guarantees our privacy because you deserve that. _We_ deserve that.”

 

Jen fought to hide her emotions and stop herself from throwing herself into his lap. He was right. They were too special, too important, to not take seriously. His consideration of that reminded her again of how special he was as a person and as a boyfriend.

 

Conscious of the number of eyes trained on them from all areas of the stadium, she leaned over and spoke into his ear. “Thank you, hon. Sometimes I’m balls to the wall, but you always pull me back. And for that, I’ll make your balls very happy later tonight.”

 

He nodded seriously, but then his eyes lit with humor.

 

“Just don’t break them, baby.”


	8. Terrestrial Ball

                                                                

His mouth moves against mine, firm but not too demanding. He’s insistent but not overly aggressive, and that combination of power and acceptance is so incredibly sexy. Sparks shoot through the blackness behind my eyes, and I moan before pulling back from him. I don’t want to break the connection, but our privacy can’t last forever in a parked car that’s running in a public park where a public event is about to start.

 

“Josh, honey,” I manage to gasp and fight to hold onto my control when he hums and stretches to connect his mouth with mine again.

 

I relent for one last kiss before I place my palm firmly on his solid chest and push him away. His eyes reflect the confusion he feels, and he fights to focus.

 

“Jennifer,” he whines. “Come back. You taste so good, baby.”

 

I give my head a firm shake and answer, “Cut the charm. We can’t get caught making out today. Put it back in your pants, and let’s go.”

 

At my words, he glances at his lap in confusion.

 

“Figure of speech, Josh. You’re covered.”

 

He blushes slightly and drops his head against the head rest with a groan. “Why did I ever agree to do this?”

 

I flip the passenger side visor down and glance at my hair to check for damage. Thankfully, the locks all seem to be in place, despite the way Josh ran his fingers through my hair just a few minutes prior.

 

I can feel his eyes on me, so I answer, “Because it’s Earth Day. And because you love your dad.”

 

He sighs again in frustration, and we both jump when his dad raps on the window by Josh’s head. He presses the button and allows the glass to almost completely disappear into the car door before he speaks.

 

“Hey, Dad.” As he greets him, Josh turns the key to shut off the car.

 

“Hi, Josh.” Chris leans over so he can make eye contact with me and smiles. “Hey, Jen. Thanks for coming today. Volunteer sign-ups tripled when we announced you two would be here. My office really appreciates it.”

 

“It’s no problem, Dad,” Josh says. “It’s Earth Day. Kind of a big deal for an EPA employee. We’re just here to help you save the world one recycle bin at a time.”

 

Chris laughs in response and takes a couple of steps back to allow Josh to exit. I scramble out of my seat and rush around the car to stand by them, listening carefully as Josh’s dad explains how the clean-up project will work. Thankfully, a number of security measures are in place to protect us from being mobbed as we work.

 

Josh and I wave to a group of fans who have shown up to help, posing for pictures, and then we’re ushered to a secluded area where a small stream runs through a wooded area. The amount of litter along the banks and floating in the water shocks me.

 

We quickly settle into a routine. I hold the bag open as Josh uses a spiked stick to pick up the trash and place it in the plastic in my hands. We fill three in about an hour, and the time passes quickly as we joke and give each other a hard time as we usually do. The number of times I stumble on loose rocks and roots peeking through the ground’s surface amuses Josh more than he can handle. It’s not long before he’s stumbling along in mock clumsiness.

 

“Haha. So funny, Josh,” I grumble. I know his teasing is always in good fun, but sometimes he hurts my feelings a little, sometimes a lot, more than he would guess.

 

He balances on a couple of rocks on the bank and wobbles on purpose. “Wooooo…” he teases as he pretends to lose his balance.

 

I lash my arm toward him and feel myself falling. Flailing, I release the recycle bag and stumble, but it’s too late. Within seconds, I’ve fallen, and I gasp at the coldness of the water as it laps around me.

 

I glance down at myself, completely soaked and spattered in mud, and shake my head. How in the world have I managed to fall flat on my ass when I wasn’t even moving? Josh’s deep chuckle reaches my ears as I tilt my head to clear the muddy water from my ear. He moves toward me slowly and reaches down to offer a hand. I want to shrug away from him. If I’m telling the truth, I’m a little miffed he’s laughing at me, despite the tug I feel when I see the way his sweaty t-shirt clings to his chest.

 

“Only you, Jennifer,” he laughs with a twinkle of appreciation in his eye at the way my white tank top, now splotched in places with brown from the muddy stream, hugs the curve of my breasts. I see his tongue flick along his bottom lip—something I’ve noticed is an unconscious reaction when he’s attracted to someone. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it, but it’s one of his tells. Giving in, I grab his hand and allow him to pull me up. 

 

“The curvature of the Earth got me,” I joke in an attempt to hide my embarrassment. He knows I’m a klutz, and I’ve fallen in much worse situations than this, but somehow falling when I’m standing still is worse than all those other times.

 

He snorts in response. “The curvature of the Earth… The Earth may be a big, giant ball Jen, but I doubt that’s the reason you landed on your glorious behind.”

 

He pulls me into his body when I’m upright and whispers into my ear, “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll massage your sexy ass later and make you forget all about getting down and dirty in a muddy creek.”

 

Goose bumps break out across my neck, and I turn my head to give him a quick peck on the lips. As his soft lips meet mine, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my upper body to his. A soft moan sounds in the back of his throat which quickly changes to a yelp. Seconds later I’m lying on my backside in the stream again with his hard body atop mine.

 

“Gotcha,” I grin. Before he can recover, I move my mouth to his left ear and whisper, “You said something about big, giant balls, and suddenly I wanted yours on me.”

 

I can’t help but laugh at the confusion in his eyes. Josh is always so athletic, so falling isn’t something he does terribly often.

 

Hugging him closer to me, I add in a low voice, “Maybe I want to remember getting down and dirty in a muddy creek with you.”

 

The edges of his mouth twitch into a cocky smirk, and he wiggles his hips against mine so I can feel him against me. He’s thick but not hard, although I know it wouldn’t take much to get him that way.

 

“Josh, are you guys okay?”

 

We jolt in surprise. The wooded area has provided a false sense of seclusion.

 

Josh’s eyes remain on mine and are hooded in his apology when he calls back to his father, “Yeah, Dad. We’re fine.”

 

I sigh with disappointment but follow Josh’s cue and rise from the murky water. We attempt to clean ourselves as much as possible and then gather the bag I was holding when I fell and the trash that slipped from it while we kissed in the streambed.

 

As Chris splashes towards us, Josh reverts to his usual teasing. “Jen slipped and grabbed onto my arm for help. She caught me off guard, and I fell, too.”

 

I glance at Josh’s dad and realize we aren’t fooling him. He has a knowing look in his eyes and shoots me a wink before reminding us we have another thirty minutes before the clean-up day ends.

 

“Well, that was embarrassing,” Josh breathes as his dad disappears into the trees, and we’re left alone again in the stream.

 

I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I think he’s pretty aware something’s going on between us, Josh. I doubt you need to worry about hiding it from him.”

 

The half-crooked smile I love so much crosses his face. “We are kind of obvious, aren’t we?”

 

I give him a smack on his butt and agree. “Pretty much. Now get moving. Let’s save this terrestrial ball so we can go back to your place, and I can play with yours.”

 

An hour later, we drag the bags of trash and recycling back to the staging area, say goodbye to his dad, and head to Josh’s house in Union. We’re both disgusting, covered in mud and sweat and probably some other things I don’t want to think about.

 

I have my eyes closed with my head resting against the seat when I hear him snort and mutter, “Terrestrial ball. Did you pull out a dictionary for that one?”

 

I shoot him a glare and retort, “I’m not stupid, Josh. I know a lot of words. Besides, I’ve seen E.T. I asked my mom what terrestrial meant and why E.T. was an extra one. I was mad at her for laughing until she explained that it meant earth, and he wasn’t an extra earth.”

 

He chuckles at my story and squeezes my knee. “Well, I’m glad you’re on this terrestrial ball. And I’m even more glad you’re here with me. Happy Earth Day, and thank you for coming with me today.”

 

“Of course. Now get your ass inside. I need some alone time with you. Maybe we can make the earth shift tonight. Rock your world and all that.”

 

I haven’t seen him move so fast in ages. He’s practically a blur as he runs to the house and jumps several steps at a time to reach his basement bedroom. By the time I catch up, he’s stripped his t-shirt and is unbuttoning his jeans.

 

I don’t hesitate. I cross the room, wrap my arms around his waist, and pull him to me. His lips find mine, and I groan as his tongue pushes into my mouth.

 

He’s so solid, such an anchor for me.

 

His hands find their way to the hem of my shirt and caress the skin beneath it. Despite the sweat and dirt and mud, he’s still so sexy that I’m inordinately impatient for him. I open my mouth wider under his and slant my head to take him in further. I lift my left hand to grasp the hair at the back of his neck. He moans when I give a tug and pushes harder against me.

 

“Josh,” I gasp, “I need you now.”

 

I love it when he takes charge, and my plea is what he needed to do that. His hands make quick work of my clothing, tugging my shirt over my head, unclipping my bra and pulling the straps from my shoulders, and shoving my shorts and panties over my hips in seconds. His left hand pulls me closer to him by the back of my neck, and his right cups me and pulls my hips harder against him.

 

“God, your ass is so fucking perfect,” he pants before dragging his mouth down the column of my throat to the hollow where it meets my shoulders. He sucks there and caresses me with his tongue until my knees go weak. His fingers continue to knead me, and I can feel his length hardening against my naked thighs.

 

“Why are your pants still on?” I whine in desperation as the tip of his tongue licks from my collarbone to my jaw.

 

“Because you haven’t taken them off me yet,” he murmurs in my ear, his warm breath tickling me.

 

I tug his jeans down and gasp as his hard dick bounces against my hip. He kicks each foot until he’s free and moans into my mouth when my hand closes around him. I want him inside me so badly, but Josh drags his mouth from mine before his hand lands on mine to stop me.

 

“Let’s get in the shower, Jen. We’re both so dirty, and not in the good way.”

 

He opens the glass door and pulls me in with him so my naked body is pressed firmly against his. He adjusts the water and lets it warm before pulling me under the spray with him and kissing me senseless.

 

In between kisses, he tells me, “I wish… we were in LA… so we could… do this… in my shower there.”

 

I moan at his words. The thought of making love to Josh in a steam-filled shower with a view of the trees that surround his house there heats my insides to an inferno.

 

“If you don’t get your cock inside me, I’m going to kick your ass.”

 

He laughs, a deep rumble from inside his chest, and grabs the soap. “Give me two more minutes, baby, and then I’ll fuck you so hard you can’t breathe.”

 

Rubbing the bar between his hands, he works up a good lather before he passes it to me. Then he runs his soap covered hands over my body and washes the remnants from today’s events from me. He drives me speechless, which is hard to do, and the feel of his hard muscles under my own soapy fingers is enough to make me choke on my words.

 

I focus on his chest, shoulders, and arms before dragging my hands down his torso, tracing the dark anchor tattoo on his side with one hand and grabbing his erection with the other. Soft yelps catch in his throat as I work him and fondle his balls. Cupping them, I squeeze gently and then release him to massage them slowly.

 

It doesn’t take long before his eyes roll back in his head. With an impatient tug, he pulls me under the spray so we can rinse the soap from our bodies. When we’re clean, he backs me up so I’m pressed between the ceramic tiled wall and his tight body.

 

His eyes, darkened with lust, flit over my face. “I’m gonna give you what you want in just a second, Jen, but first… First, I want to watch you fall apart.”

 

His hand slips between my legs, and his fingers slip into the slit. “God, yes!” I squeal when his middle finger dips inside me, and his thumb finds my clit and presses hard. “More. God, Josh. More!”

 

He presses his mouth against mine in a bruising kiss and increases his speed. His thumb jerks back and forth quickly and his finger plunges into me so fast I can’t stand it. Before I know it, I scream his name and my thighs clench him while my walls pulse around his fingers.

 

“Open your legs, Jen,” he commands in a low voice. I force my eyes to focus on him and see his determined look.

 

I manage to stop shaking from the tremors he forced from me and widen my stance. He grabs my left leg and hitches it over his right hip and slams into me.

 

“Shit, Jennifer. Oh, shit,” he grunts as I stretch to accept his girth.

 

Soft whimpers stick in the back of my throat, and it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open so I can watch his eyes close as he sinks into me.

 

He pulls out so the just the tip stays in, and then something snaps. Deep, long, throaty moans fall from him as he plunges into me repeatedly, harder and faster as he loses himself.

 

Realizing he’s beyond the ability to control himself, I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and pull him closer against me with the leg he hitched over his hip. He pounds into me relentlessly, and I have no desire to do anything but enjoy the ride.

 

My back slams against the wall with every thrust, and the steam from the shower creates a thick haze that reflects the intensity of our act. He pants and groans my name along with a stream of curses as he gets closer to his release. He hits deep inside me, prompting me to whimper along with him.

 

“I can’t stop, Jen,” he huffs in a deep moan. “God, baby. You feel so good. Fuck!”

 

His balls slap against me as he drives into me harder, and all I can do is wail my delight.

 

“Don’t stop. Oh, god, please don’t stop, Josh. Go harder,” I beg.

 

His powerful hips slam into me again, and the sensation is breath-taking. My chin tucks over his shoulder as I ride him, and I feel the tension building inside me.

 

“I’m almost there. I’m almost there!”

 

Two more thrusts and he spasms, a shout falling from him as his hot fluid pumps into me. His inability to control himself is so sexy; I clench around him and enjoy our shared pulses as our bodies meld together, heated and slick with water from the shower. Tension flows from me along with my orgasm.

 

His arms grip me harder, so forcefully it’s almost painful. His head is tucked into the crook of my shoulder, and his chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath. We stand there for several minutes, locked in each other’s arms as the water continues to rain onto the shower floor. When I try to pull away, he resists.

 

“You okay, Josh?” I ask gently.

 

He breathes deeply twice and loosens his grip. His eyes meet mine, his hooded and dark with something I can only describe as heated despair.

 

“What’s wrong?” His look scares me.

 

“Did I hurt you?” he asks. The slight hesitation when he speaks clutches at my heart.

 

I lift my hand to his jaw and smile when he turns to kiss my palm. “Did you hear me complaining?”

 

His own smile returns quickly. “Well, not about this, but I’m sure you’ll start again soon.”

 

“Well, that’s ballsy, Josh. Way to insult me after what we just did.”

 

He places a sloppy kiss on my cheek and winks at me. “I think you like it when I’m ballsy. And you like my balls, too.”

 

He’s got me there, and he knows it. I playfully smack his naked ass and admit, “I do. I’ll handle your balls any day.”


	9. Ball Pit

                                                                

Jen groaned as streams from the morning sun passed through the shades and fell across her face. She flung her arm over her eyes to shield herself from the brightness and jumped when her fingers made contact with something that was definitely not her extra pillows.

 

“Ooooof! Ouch, Jen! Trying to poke an eye out?” a drowsy and very grumpy Josh muttered from the left side of the bed.

 

“Shit, I’m sorry, Josh,” Jen sputtered and peeked an eye open to see if he was really upset. His crankiness showed in his furrowed brow and the downturn of his lips, lips that usually curved upward in happiness when they spent time together.

 

Jen turned on her side to run her hands across Josh’s bare chest. At his frustrated grunt, she moved lower and grinned as his breath hitched when her hand wrapped around his morning wood. She stretched toward him and pressed her lips against his ear to whisper, “Are _you_ trying to poke an eye out with that thing?”

 

His reluctant chuckle made her laugh until he spoke.

 

“Your eyes aren’t anywhere near enough to it for my taste.”

 

The challenge in his voice sparked her competitive side. It only took a couple of seconds for her to slide down his body and close her mouth over his cock.

 

“Oh, shit!” he grunted and his teeth bit into his bottom lip as his hips jerked upward. “Jen… baby…” he moaned as his fingers twisted in her hair, and his head reared back into the pillow.

 

Jen’s mouth slid up and down his shaft. Her hand toyed with his balls, and she sucked him in deeper. Soft moans and grunts fell from him, which spurred Jen to shift over him so she could take him in further. As his hips bucked into her faster, she whimpered in the back of her throat. At her sounds, he tightened and released hot streams of fluid that she sucked greedily from him.

 

“Ah…” he panted as her lips continued to caress him. “Jennifer… Fuck, honey. Oh god,” he moaned in satisfaction.

 

As his cock softened, she released him and slid up his body, trailing her lips along the ridges of his stomach and chest until she reached his mouth. Hers sought his until their lips fused together and then slanted against each other’s in passionate strokes.

 

Jen smiled as his hands trailed down her back and cupped her ass to pull her closer toward him. The heat in between her legs made her regret her decision to bring him to climax without coming with him.

 

“Any chance you might be able to get it up again, Josh?” she teased before admitting, “I wasn’t thinking when I got you off by yourself.”

 

She felt his muscles tense a second before he flipped them over and kissed her again. His bare chest rubbed against her breasts, but he slid his lower body off to the side and reached his hand down to spread her legs. He slipped his middle finger into her slit and sighed at the wet warmth he found there. He bent his neck and kissed her neck softly and sweetly while his fingers delved in and out until she moaned his name.

 

When her back arched and her legs closed tightly to grip his hand between them, she cried out and cursed while waves of pleasure wracked her body. Her soft mewls and faint pleas urged him to make sure she finished completely, so he flicked his fingers over her clit until she re-opened her legs for him to gain better access.

 

“Please, Josh,” she mewled wistfully.

 

Plunging two digits into her, he rubbed his thumb against her nub harder. She strained against him and squealed as fluid covered his palm.

 

Their uneven breathing echoed throughout her bedroom for several minutes. Her body curled against his, and she reveled in his warmth. It had only been a few months since they’d taken the step that changed their relationship. Since then, they’d explored each other so often that she was positive she could reconstruct his body if her fingers could sculpt. Every time they came together, the heat between them combusted into something so intense, she still feared it would consume her. Yet, she had no regrets. Nothing had happened since they became a couple to make her think she’d made a poor decision.

 

“What’s on the agenda today?” he murmured against her hair after several minutes of contented silence.

 

She grinned into his chest and suggested, “More of this?”

 

“Sounds good to me,” he chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

 

Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and rose from the bed. “I wish,” she said. “I promised my brother I’d babysit today.” At his groan, she tossed over her shoulder at him, “Don’t bitch, mister. You were the one who encouraged that whole New Year’s Resolution list. Spending more time with my nephew was on it.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he groused. “That was before I’d seen you naked and writhing under me while you squealed my name.”

 

She bent down and grabbed his shirt from the floor, wadded it into a ball, and tossed it so it smacked him squarely in the face. “Get your ass up and on the ball, Josh. I’ve got a date with another, much younger, possibly better looking man. We’re going to the Ball Pit today, and no, you can’t join us. I promised my brother I’d do this one on one.”

 

Josh grumbled more as he dressed, but he engulfed her in a hug and kissed her senseless before he left her standing in her doorway. As he walked to his car, she called after him, “See you later?”

 

“Always,” he yelled back as he slid into the front seat of his car.

 

With a smile, she closed the door before preparing herself for the day. Within the hour, she’d dressed and headed to pick up her nephew for lunch and the afternoon at the Ball Pit. The business’ website boasted a veritable funhouse of activities for kids aged three to twelve, including a huge ball pit, two slides, a fun house, and a bounce-y house.

 

The day passed quickly. She took dozens of pictures of her nephew as he played and caught herself more than once as she created mental images of her own child, one with her blue eyes and a defined square jawline and dark hair, playing in the pit of multi-colored balls. She wasn’t ready to face that quite yet, but, strangely, the images eased her at the same time they increased her desire to see Josh again later that evening. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d missed him this much after only a few hours apart.

 

In the late afternoon, Jen buckled her nephew into his car seat and returned him to her brother. Before she pulled away, she sent Josh a quick text message to tell him she was free. Almost immediately, her phone rang with a call from him, and she answered with her Bluetooth.

 

“Hey, Joshy. What’s going on?”

 

“Don’t ask,” he snapped. “Sorry. This meeting’s taking forever. I stepped out to call you, but it’s going to be a while before I’m free.”

 

Jen’s heart sank, and she mumbled sadly, “Oh…”

 

“I know. I’m sorry,” he groaned in return.

 

“No, it’s okay,” she said in an attempt to placate him and convince herself that it actually was, but a rush of sadness swept through her.

 

The silence between them stretched for a few minutes before Josh suggested, “If you want to come by later, I’ll grill, and we can watch a movie on the patio.”

 

“Of course I do.”

 

“Good. I should be home by 7:00. You know the code if you beat me. There’s beer in the fridge, too.”

 

“Okay…” Her voiced trailed into silence.

 

His was tender when he asked, “How was the Ball Pit?”

 

“It was good. Had a great time. It would have been more fun with you,” she admitted.

 

He chuckled softly. “Of course. I’d like to get you into a ball pit. Cover you in balls…”

 

She sputtered and choked on a laugh. Gasping for breath, she said goodbye and hung up when an idea popped into her head. She knew exactly how to make Josh forget the frustration about his meeting and make the night together exceptionally memorable. With a few stops, she purchased everything she needed and headed to Josh’s house in the Hollywood Hills.

 

She patted Driver’s head as she moved through the house and into the backyard where she unpacked the inflatable swimming pool. She struggled for a few minutes but managed to unfold the plastic enough to find the nozzle and attach the air pump to inflate it. Jen watched in satisfaction as the sides of the pool expanded and stood upright to create a circle nine feet in diameter and three feet tall.

 

As Josh’s dog watched, Jennifer dumped bag after bag of red, yellow, blue, and green balls into the empty pool. When all the mesh bags lay empty at her feet, she surveyed her creation and grinned. If Josh wanted to bury her in balls, she’d provide him the opportunity. With a glance at the time, Jen grabbed the small bag next to her and moved into the house to change into the lingerie she’d purchased to surprise Josh.

 

At a few minutes before 7:00, Jen draped a trail of her clothes from the front door to the kitchen, so Josh would follow it until he could see her waiting for him by the homemade ball pit.

 

She didn’t have to wait long. It took only a short time before she spotted Josh moving through the house and calling her name. Situating herself in front of the inflated pool, she draped her arms over the edge and waited for him to spot her.

 

“Jen? What are you doing—oh my damn.”

 

Josh stood still, shocked speechless by the sight of her wearing a black bustier and garter with fishnet stockings and standing in his backyard.

 

“Hey there, Joshy. Welcome home,” she purred and pushed away from the pool to walk toward him.

 

He swallowed hard as he watched her approach and nodded. She stood in front of him and waited. As hard as it was for her to stay still, she wanted Josh to have the opportunity to do what he wanted to her.

 

His hand trembled as he lifted it and cupped her neck to pull her toward him. His lips found and opened over hers. His tongue slid into her mouth and tangled with hers while his hands moved down her body to caress her curves.

 

“You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome, baby.” When she smiled, he asked, “Why’s there a pool in my backyard?”

 

“It’s not a pool. Take a look inside.” He groaned but moved away reluctantly to see what she meant.

 

“Balls? There’s a pool full of balls in my backyard?” he asked in disbelief.

 

Jen reached down to unclip the top of the fishnet hose on her left leg. She grabbed his hand and moved it to her upper thigh. In a husky voice, she crooned, “I thought maybe you could be balls deep in me while we’re buried in balls.”

 

“Fuuuuuck,” he drawled and dragged his lips in a hot trail along her jaw.

 

She laughed softly and moaned breathlessly, “That’s the idea, Josh.”

 

At her words, his restraint snapped, and he lifted her to toss her backward into the pit of brightly colored balls. She belly laughed as she landed in the cushion of plastic and watched the determination in his eyes as he toed off his shoes, ripped his jacket from his shoulders, and dove so that he landed beside her. His fingers worked deftly to remove her lingerie and trailed across her body. In seconds, he had her stripped and sat back to appreciate her beauty.

 

“How the hell did I get this lucky?” he whispered in awe.

 

“I bribed the powers that be,” she teased and winked at him. “Now, get your ass naked so your balls can join their brothers.”

 

“Shit,” he cursed as he tore his clothes from himself as fast as he could, falling on her. He groaned when his bare chest grazed against her soft skin, and her hard nipples scraped through his chest hair. His eyes caressed her face as he pulled her toward him by her legs, wrapped her legs around his waist, and pressed the tip of his cock against her slit.

 

“Open up for me, sweetie,” he begged. With a breathy whimper, she arched her head back and welcomed him inside her.

 

“Oh…” she gasped. Her wail of happiness made his balls tighten, and he thrust harder into her. As his hips drove against hers repeatedly, the plastic balls shifted and settled to surround them.

 

Jen’s eyes rolled back in her head as she and Josh sank deeper into the layers of balls. Plaintive moans fell from her lips as Josh drove into her. His balls slapped against her as he banged into her. He grunted as the tip of his hard cock hit her walls.

 

She wrapped her legs around his hips tighter to draw him in and allowed herself to relax into the sea of plastic. His sharp thrusts pushed her upward with every stroke, and they were soon buried in the balls with the exception of his firm buttocks, her legs and feet wrapped around it.

 

The waning sun barely permeated the plastic, and Josh’s mouth panted millimeters from hers. She felt warmth spread through her. She was close. The ridges of his cock rubbed her walls, and she tightened around him to increase her pleasure.

 

“Fuck me, Josh!” she huffed as he drove into her.

 

“That’s what I’m doing, Jen,” he panted in between thrusts.

 

The heat under the layer of plastic threatened her ability to breathe, which sparked another idea. Tugging his left earlobe between her teeth, she breathed hotly into his ear, “Wanna do it doggy-style, baby?”

 

Josh’s eyelids fluttered and he groaned so deeply, it shook through her core. “Why do you do this shit to me, Jen? Black lingerie, covered in balls, and now doggy-style? Shit!”

 

Jen shifted to gain her balance and positioned herself on her knees facing the inflated wall of the pool. Glancing over her shoulder at him with a smoldering look, she told him, “Because I want to make you happy.”

 

He crawled toward her through the plastic balls and wrapped his arms around her from behind. His chest pressed against her back, and he sucked and licked her neck. “Mission fucking accomplished,” he swore and entered her from behind.

 

“Oh god,” she moaned. Her hands gripped the edge of the pool tighter, but it did nothing to brace her against him as he plunged into her harder.

 

“Jen…” His hips jerked against the curve of her ass, and their breaths hitched together. His arms tightened around her. They were crossed so that both of his hands grasped and molded her breasts.

 

“Josh,” she panted.

 

He grunted in response.

 

“Josh?”

 

He pounded into her harder as his name fell from her.

 

“Oh, shit! Josh!” she screamed. Her head fell back, and she convulsed in his arms, her climax flooding from her as he banged her mercilessly.

 

“Fuck, Jen,” he moaned. “Oh, baby. Oh god.” His voice trailed into incoherent moans as he drove into her several more times before he dropped his forehead to her left shoulder and pulsed inside her. His body shook as he poured himself into her warmth, and Jen shoved back against him to take him in further.

 

A loud groan ripped from deep within him as he collapsed against her. They fell sideways into the pile of plastic balls in exhaustion.

 

Jen’s back rested against Josh’s sweaty chest, and her ass curved into his right hip. Her left hand slipped into his right, and their legs remained intertwined since neither of them possessed the energy to move.

 

The summer evening LA sun filtered through the sycamore trees in Josh’s backyard so strips of light fell across their naked bodies. Their body heat lessened as a light breeze dried the sweat from their skin.

 

Josh lifted his left hand to run his fingers lightly down Jen’s side. Halfway down her back, she jerked slightly, and he grinned that he’d found her ticklish spot. He chuckled and caressed her sensitive skin until she twitched against him and pressed her ass back against him.

 

“Stop, Josh,” she giggled uncontrollably.

 

His lips grazed her left shoulder blade and kissed a soft trail to her neck. “Uh uh,” he murmured against her skin. “You need to be tickled more.”

 

His chuckles turned to belly laughs while she squirmed and writhed against him in an attempt to escape his offending fingers.

 

“Don’t,” she gasped as she fought to breathe through her laughter. “Oh, please stop, baby.”

 

He nuzzled her closer and teased, “I might stop. If…”

 

She squirmed and giggled before wheezing, “If what?”

 

“If,” he laughed, “if you promise me we get to use this ball pit again before we go to sleep tonight.”

 

Jen flipped to face him and grabbed at his crotch to still him. “Hmmm…” she mused. “I guess I could be persuaded to make you happy again tonight.”

 

Her eyes twinkled with humor, and his lips curved into the crooked smile of his that she loved so much. Her heart thumped erratically, and she wondered briefly how much longer she could keep her rapidly deepening feelings from him.

 

His mouth covered hers softly, and his lips caressed hers tenderly. The tip of his tongue traced the shape of her lips until they both sighed in contentment. She cuddled into him closer and smiled as he cradled her head on his shoulder.

 

After a few seconds of silence, Josh started to chuckle, which quickly devolved into full-fledged guffaws. His laughter was infectious, and she caught herself giggling along with him without knowing the cause of his mirth. When he finally caught his breath, she asked him, “What’s so funny?”

 

With a smirk, he gasped, “I just never thought I’d get it on in a ball pit. Buried up to my balls in you _and_ covered in hundreds of balls.”

 

“Can I tell you a secret, Josh?”

 

He nodded in agreement and squeezed her affectionately.

 

A wicked smile spread across her face before she admitted, “I may be surrounded by a ton of balls, but your two are my favorite, baby.”

 

“They better fucking be,” he growled and kissed her again.

 


	10. Flaming Balls

                                                              

“Jen! Catch!”

 

Jen glanced up from the book in her lap just in time to see her cell phone flying toward her. With a squeal, she reached up and grabbed the phone before it hit her in the face. Giving her brother a glare, she shook her head.

 

“It’s your lover boy,” he said. “I thought you might want to talk to him since you’ve been mooning around here the past three days.”

 

“I haven’t been _mooning_ ,” she muttered as her middle finger rose of its own accord.

 

The back door to the house slammed closed behind her brother, and she lifted the phone to her mouth.

 

“Hey, sexy,” she drawled in a soft, slow voice.

 

Josh’s deep chuckle through the phone filled her body with unexpected warmth. It had only been three days since she’d left Josh in LA after their delightful romp in the ball pit and headed home to Louisville to spend time with her family for the holiday, but it felt like much longer. Josh’s appointments kept him in LA, but she knew his plans included a trip to Kentucky within the next few days as well.

 

Josh sighed into the phone. “Dammit. I miss you, Jennifer.”

 

“Hmm…  I miss you, too.” Jen’s lips twitched into a smile. Relaxing at her parents’ home meant Jen could find her center again, but Josh’s presence did much the same thing for her. She missed him more than she wanted to admit.

 

When he remained silent, Jen asked, “What are we going to do about that, Joshua Ryan?” She could imagine his mouth pulling into the crooked smile he sported whenever she teased him, and it caused a soft ping in her heart.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll just have to get used to being apart. I hear distance makes the heart grow fonder, so maybe we’ll have to test the theory,” Josh deadpanned.

 

After her initial second of shock, she cursed, “You shut your damn mouth.”

 

Josh’s laughter echoed through the phone line, but Jen wasn’t smiling.

 

“Come on, hon. I’m teasing you.”

 

“It’s. Not. Funny.” She spit out the words with more anger than she thought she could possess. Teasing between the two of them was a normal state, but this wasn’t a fair topic.

 

“I’m hilarious,” he teased.

 

“I’m hanging up,” she threatened.

 

“I’m coming home,” he blurted, which caused her to freeze.

 

“Yessssssssssssssssssssssss!” Jen hissed the word through clenched teeth and pursed lips. Those words sounded like victory to her.

 

Josh’s laughter burst from him at her excitement. “I thought that might make you happy. I’ll be home in two days. I know you’re spending some time with your family—which you should, but I thought maybe I could convince you to come to visit me in Union. Maybe you can be part of the Hutcherson Independence Day/“let’s blow some shit up” bash this year?”

 

Jen tapped her fingers against her bottom lip and mused, “Let me think about this for a minute.” Pausing briefly, she grinned into the phone and decided to give him a hard time.

 

“I might come. If…”

 

Josh laughed nervously and asked, “If what?”

 

“Well,” she drawled, “will there be any alcohol?”

 

He didn’t miss a beat and answered, “Of course not. No. The Hutchersons don’t drink.”

 

“Interesting. Interesting,” she joked. “What about swimming? I’m going to need to work on my tan lines.”

 

“Swimming? Hell no! What do you think this is? A party at a house with a pool? You may not wear a string bikini and parade in front of me so that I imagine taking you against a wall. Out of the question.” The thick sarcasm in his voice made Jen laugh outright.

 

“This is becoming more tempting by the second. All of those things suck,” she teased.

 

“Horribly. They all ruin a perfectly good party,” he agreed without breaking character.

 

“Well, then, one last question. Please assure me there will be zero fireworks. None at all. I despise them. Can’t stand them at all. Flaming balls all over the place. Can’t take it.”

 

“Jennifer, you know me. Do I seem like the kind of guy who would set aside a few hundred dollars…okay, $2000, you got me…to blow on fireworks? God, no. The only flaming balls at the party will be mine when I bury myself in you.”

 

Suddenly the conversation wasn’t so funny anymore. Jen gulped and said, “You talked me into it. I’ll be there.”

 

“Damn right you will be. I miss you. My balls are pretty much on fire already just thinking about you.”

 

She snorted to cover her own frustration and decided she needed to get off the phone and find somewhere private.

 

“I’ll be there, Josh,” she agreed quietly. “I need to go. Need to take care of some things.”

 

“You want help?” he offered.

 

She blushed a deep red before answering, “No. Someone might hear.”

 

Disappointment colored his tone when he reluctantly said, “See you in two days.”

 

That promise was the only thing that helped her as she sprinted to the privacy of her bathroom. The two days were going to be torture.

 

****

 

“You’ve gotta admit this is pretty damn awesome, Jen.” Josh’s eyes sparked with enthusiasm as he showed her the pile of fireworks he’d purchased for his family gathering.

 

“Amazing,” she smirked as she picked up one of the packages to glance at the name. “Balls of Fury?” she asked. “Really?”

 

His cheeks tinted pink, and he nodded imperceptibly. “We seem to have a thing with balls. I bought every single firework I could find with ball in the title. It’s a tribute to us.”

 

A snort of laughter ripped from her at his words. She ran the tip of her index finger over the wrapper and smiled at the warning. “ _Emits flaming balls. Light and get away_. That sounds about right.”

 

He moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, “You want to get away from my balls, baby? I think you like them way too much to do that. They’re on fire for you anyway.”

 

Heat rushed to the juncture of her legs, but there was way too much commotion outside the garage to consider indulging in a passionate moment with him. Interstate delays made her late getting to Union, and they hadn’t had any alone time to relieve their sexual itch before Josh’s family and friends started arriving. His affectionate caresses and heated looks frustrated her more than she wanted to admit.

 

“Later,” she responded quietly. “When we’re actually alone.”

 

He groaned in frustration but lay a wet trail of longing down the curve of her neck. Just as she was about to suggest they hide behind the pile of fireworks and take their chances at getting caught, he covered her lips with his and pulled her against him.

 

Her mouth opened under his, and she accepted his insistent tongue as he probed her warmth. Her hand fell to the waist of his khakis, and she dipped her hand inside to fondle him. He thickened in her hand, but she released him to cup his balls with her soft palm.

 

They moaned softly together before breaking away as Josh’s mom called to him from the house. He swore and answered as he dragged in ragged breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

 

“I have to go help finish setting up,” he growled. “We’ll finish this later tonight.”

 

“Definitely,” she agreed as she straightened her tank top over her shoulders.

 

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly, despite the amount of sexual tension she felt. Josh and his family acted seamlessly as hosts while simultaneously enjoying themselves. She swam and ate BBQ and potato salad and drank. She watched Josh do the same and laughed at the number of whiskey on the rocks he consumed over the course of the day. Thankfully, he found a few minutes to sit on a blanket with her so she didn’t feel abandoned—not that she would have anyway. Watching him in his element warmed her heart.

 

He organized a firework spectacle in the afternoon that allowed the younger kids to burn snakes and smoke bombs before culminating in a competitive parachute catch. He worked the crowd effortlessly and still managed to make his way to her side to check on her every few minutes. He even managed to sneak her away for a few mini-make-out sessions without anyone noticing they were gone.

 

As the sun dropped closer to and finally disappeared beneath the horizon, Josh, his brother, and a few of his male cousins shot off a nearly two-hour fireworks display that put a number of professional ones she’d seen to shame. As he announced the grand finale that would end the show, her anticipation of escaping to his bedroom increased.

 

Her heart sank when he appeared at her elbow and said, “We’re going to shoot some rockets and firecrackers for a while. You good?” He took a sip from the cup he hadn’t set down all night and grinned at her. His buzz showed in his eyes, and she wondered how many drinks he’d consumed since dinner.

 

Jen shook her head and made her way over to the table where Josh’s mom and aunt stood. When they greeted her, she nodded in his direction and asked, “This stage go on for a while?”

 

“Sometimes for hours,” Michelle affirmed as she rolled her eyes. “I love my sons, but this is one of those times I wish I’d had a daughter or two instead. You might as well hang out with us until his obsession with fire and noise is over.”

 

Some time later four loud bangs in quick succession scared her enough to make her jump, and she glanced in the direction of the group that couldn’t seem to stop shooting off rockets and cherry bombs. Josh’s grin indicated his carefree attitude, and his bare chest showed he was drunk enough to be way past the point of caring about much of anything. She’d realized a dozen or so drinks ago she wasn’t going to get laid at the end of the night. Instead, she was going to fall into bed with a very inebriated boyfriend.

 

Another bang sounded, and the night decelerated to slow motion. Jen saw the rocket rotate sharply and head straight for Josh. His head was turned as he laughed and talked to his brother, so he didn’t see it coming in time for him to dodge it. She dropped the solo cup of jungle juice she held and felt the liquid splash down her leg as she took a step toward him in desperation.

 

“No!” she screamed, but the noise echoed through her head so that it sounded garbled and much deeper than she knew it was. She reached for him across the yard, but it was too late. She saw the flicker of fear and panic in Josh’s glazed hazel eyes, and then the rocket hit his left calf and exploded.

 

“Josh!” she wailed in anguish when he collapsed, his face a mask of pain as he clutched at his leg and rolled from side to side.

 

It seemed to take years, but only a few seconds had passed before she staggered to her knees next to him. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him writhe in pain, her hands useless to stop his agony.

 

“Honey,” she begged, “please be okay, Josh.”

 

His parents were beside him in seconds, and it took only minutes before they inspected the wound, cleaned it, and bandaged it. His dad fed Josh two shots of whiskey to numb him, and the pain in his face faded to a more manageable discomfort.

 

Jen pushed his disheveled hair back from his sweaty forehead and tried to stop bawling, but she failed miserably.

 

In his drunken state, Josh mumbled, “Flaming balls got me, Jennifer.”

 

Laughter bubbled through her sobs, and she managed to smile. Reassurances from his mom that the wound wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked calmed her enough that she could help Josh from his position on the ground and support him as they walked to the house.

 

He stumbled against her several times. The arm he draped around her waist dropped lower as they walked until his hand cupped her butt by the time they reached the backdoor. She pulled him inside and grunted as his body pressed hers into the kitchen wall.

 

“Jennifer,” he breathed, “I’m so gone, baby, but I still want you. So do my balls. Flaming balls…”

 

His mouth found hers in a sloppy, drunken kiss. His tongue pushed into her mouth, and he grunted as he pressed against her. Jen responded, but the situation was far from passionate and so removed from romantic that she forced him to back away.

 

Her tears marked his face, and she grinned internally at their real-life re-creation of the time they’d kissed during the resuscitation scene in _Catching Fire_. The fact that Josh wasn’t bothered by the amount of moisture on his face meant that he was in no state for her to take advantage of him.

 

A dazed look graced his face as he swayed on his feet. He tried to focus on her, but a spot just over her left shoulder seemed to be the object of his intense stare. He blinked a couple of times when she snapped her fingers in front of him once.

 

“What?” he asked, his confusion evident.

 

Jen shook her head at his state and sighed, “Oh, Josh. We need to get you to bed.”

 

He leered at her and slurred, “That’s what I wanted to hear. Bed. Jen. Me. Yes.”

 

Jen indulged him as he leaned forward and nuzzled her neck for a few seconds, but his unsteadiness forced her to pull away a second time. She rested her hand gently on his lower left arm and spoke softly and slowly so he’d be sure to understand. “We’re going to get you downstairs to your bedroom now, honey.”

 

He nodded so hard he looked like a bobble head as he babbled, “Bedroom. Flaming balls. Boom! Explosion.”

 

“Sure, Joshy. Whatever you say,” she placated him. “We’re going to walk to the stairs now. You okay with that?”

 

He leaned into her, his warm body tight against her. His drunken and injured state wasn’t going to allow for sex, but she was willing to bet he’d be into some intense cuddling once she got him into his bed. His naturally affectionate state would serve her well tonight.

 

He lifted his eyes to focus on her face and asked as clearly as he had said anything all night, “Who’s we?”

 

“What?” she asked in distraction. She fought to keep him upright while guiding him to the top of the stairs. She was already nervous about him stumbling and hurting himself worse when they tried to descend to the basement.

 

“Are we having a threesome?” he blurted.

 

“What?” she shrieked as she jerked to a complete stop. “What the hell, Josh?”

 

His eyes drooped, and he leaned into her harder. “You keep saying ‘we’,” he muttered.

 

She snorted with laughter and teased, “Yes, we’re having a threesome, hon. You, me, and your flaming balls.”

 

“Hmm…  That sounds nice…”

 

He grunted in pain as they took the first step down the staircase. “Shit, that hurts,” he hissed and sagged against her.

 

Her heart hurt at the agony in his voice, but she kept her arm solid around his waist and nudged him to keep going. “One step at a time, Josh. You’re almost there.”

 

It took several minutes to descend to the basement and cross it to his bedroom. She helped him to the bed and eased him onto it. With more tenderness than she realized she possessed, she gently undressed him down to his boxers and placed kisses on his shoulders and cheeks. A silly grin graced his face throughout the process. His head lolled from side to side as she took care of him, and he relaxed into the mattress.

 

“So good to me,” he murmured.

 

“Well, I kind of like you. Flaming balls and all,” she crooned.

 

His mouth twitched before he whispered, “I’m so tired, Katniss.”

 

She grinned at his words, a direct quote from the movie they’d just finished filming together, and brushed her fingertips across his closed eyelids.

 

“Sleep, baby. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

 

He nodded and stilled. His breathing evened and soft snuffles indicated he’d slipped into unconsciousness.

 

Etches of pain streaked his sweaty forehead in small wrinkles. Black streaks of gunpowder colored his jawline and the apple of his right cheek. She rubbed her thumb against one line and allowed her heart to melt. Her pull to him forced her to rise and slip into a pair of boxers and a white tank top and slide under the sheets next to his body. When he felt her against him, he shifted and pulled her across his chest and settled her head under his chin.

 

His arms grew heavy around her as he slipped back into a deep sleep. Fireworks continued to bang and explode outside. Streaks of light from the flaming balls they’d joked about earlier peeked through the blinds of his room. All of it combined to create a cozy feeling of them together in his bed.

 

She allowed her hand to drift to his abdomen and smiled as his muscles twitched under her fingers. He burrowed into the sheets and nuzzled closer to her, which made her smile. His propensity to cuddle made her feel cherished, despite the comedy of errors of the night. She brushed her lips across his jaw in affection but froze when he groaned her name before falling silent again.

 

Her heart restricted as she breathed in his scent. A ball of tension settled in the pit of her stomach, but she knew what she needed to relieve it. She released a huge gust of air, and admitted to herself what she’d been feeling for some time.

 

She was in love with Josh.

 

Seeing him wounded had solidified it for her in a way she couldn’t admit before tonight. The sensation of terror she’d experienced when the rocket exploded on his leg convinced her beyond any doubt that her feelings went way past the deep affection they possessed for each other.

 

Someday soon she’d have to admit it to him, but she wasn’t quite ready yet. For now it was enough to chuckle that flaming balls had made her admit it.

 


	11. Bounce Your Balls

                                                                      

Jen stood against a large oak tree on the edge of the open area at Camp Hi-Ho and watched Josh interact with the group of screaming seven and eight year olds who clamored around him. Josh’s popularity at her parents’ camp came as no surprise.

 

She grinned as a couple of particularly rowdy boys surrounded Josh, and he worked his magic to get them back in line. The list of New Year’s resolutions the two had made several months prior had resulted in a number of good things for the pair. She thanked the powers that be that Josh always followed through and that he had made arrangements to volunteer at her parents’ camp for a week.

 

Josh managed to corral the kids into pairs and instructed them until the small rubber balls he’d brought moved from one kid in the pair to the other. Josh made sure to bring enough bouncy balls for everyone at the camp. They were the kind that came from 25¢ machines at gas stations and discount stores. Her own nephew enjoyed putting a coin in and seeing which color came out when he turned the knob. Watching the kids choose their own colored ball from the box he’d brought had been hilarious.

 

Jen glanced up in surprise and yelped, “Ow!”

 

An impish grin spread across Josh’s face, and he threw another ball at her that pinged her arm.

 

“Bully!” she yelled in mock anger, and he winked at her. She fondly remembered him calling her that at the London premiere of _Catching Fire_ and knew he recalled it, too.

 

The camp’s main counselors for the group Josh was leading appeared at that time to relieve him, and he moved toward her with exaggerated groans of pain.

 

“So sore, Jennifer. These kids wear me out.”

 

“Sounds like somebody’s getting soft. Maybe you need to do some more Peeta training.” She poked him in the side and murmured, “Yep, there’s a little bit of pudge there.”

 

“I’ll show you pudgy,” he growled and pressed her against the tree with his body. His mouth descended to hers, and he kissed her hungrily.

 

She kissed him back for a few minutes and then pulled away. She whispered softly in his ear, “No kissing at Camp Hi-Ho. You’re going to get me in trouble.”

 

He captured her mouth again and returned in a low murmur, “Good thing I know the owners. I don’t know if you know this, but I kind of have a thing with their daughter.”

 

Jen gasped in feigned outrage. “What? You’re cheating on me?”

 

“Yep,” he agreed, “with a leggy, hot blonde named Jennifer. You know her?”

 

“Oh, Jennifer. God yeah. I hate that girl,” she replied in mock seriousness. “She stole my boyfriend in fifth grade. I think I’ll get back at her. Steal you away for a romantic date tonight.”

 

Josh breathed against her neck hotly and answered, “Well, I guess I could help you out. It’s the least I can do to make up for your fifth grade heartbreak.”

 

“Good. Go take a shower and meet me back here in thirty minutes. We’re going horseback riding.”

 

He looked at her with a hint of humor in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips.

 

“Here,” she said and pulled her hand from her back pocket. “Put these on. They’ll help keep you contained on the ride so you won’t get hurt. Then maybe we can do a little fooling around when we stop.”

 

She winked at him and then burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

 

He turned a look of sheer disgust at her and muttered, “Panty hose? You want me to wear panty hose? Talk about emasculating. We won’t be able to fool around after because I won’t have any balls left.”

 

“You won’t have any balls left if you don’t.”

 

He curled his upper lip further to fully express his repulsion at her suggestion. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass.”

 

She gripped his right bicep and squeezed it appreciably. The small mound of muscle filled her palm, and she inhaled sharply at the surge of longing that shot through her when he flexed under her hand.

 

She couldn’t tear her eyes from his arm, but she managed to stammer in a lust-laden voice, “Please wear them when we horseback ride. I want to make sure I’m able to ride _you_ when it’s over.”

 

Josh’s hand reached behind to cup her ass and pull her against him. He pressed his hips against hers, and she felt his thickness against her soft core.

 

“I’m fine, Jen,” he growled. “I think that’s pretty apparent. Let’s leave now.”

 

She leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose and then pulled away. As she walked away with an over-exaggerated sway to her hips, she threw over her shoulder, “You stink. Go shower. I’m going to check on the horses.”

 

Josh groaned in frustration and sagged against the tree. She grinned when she heard him curse under his breath before he pushed himself upright and headed to the showers. She spent the next several minutes making sure her two favorite horses had the proper equipment and were properly hydrated and grinned when Josh entered the barn in record time.

 

His short, dark hair glistened from his recent shower, and the soft white cotton tank top emphasized his muscular shoulders. Well-worn jeans hung low on his hips, and a couple of threadbare spots showed a hint of his thigh above his left knee. He hadn’t bothered to shave, and the dark hair hugged his angular jaw underneath a lazy smile and golden eyes.

 

She sighed in contentment and slipped into his embrace when he moved around the horses to join her.

 

He dropped a soft kiss above her right eyebrow and murmured, “Hey there, beautiful.”

 

She lifted her lips and kissed him softly and slowly. When he opened his mouth, she sucked his bottom lip between her teeth and nipped it gently. His arms tightened around her, and his knee nudged her legs apart so he could settle in between hers. Just as he cradled himself in her warmth, the horse nearest them whinnied and stamped his foot, which startled them both.

 

Reluctantly, Josh pulled away. He licked his lower lip with the tip of his tongue and fixed a molten stare to her face. Jen blushed under his attention and cleared her throat in embarrassment.

 

“Stop it, Josh,” she said quietly.

 

“Stop what?”

 

“Stop doing that ridiculously sexy thing with your tongue,” she muttered.

 

His eyes narrowed slightly and darkened before he responded, “I can think of other things to do with my tongue.”

 

“Hmm…. I bet you can.” Shooting him a scorching look, she moved around to the right side of the horse so she could climb into the saddle. She slung her left leg over the horse and settled both feet in the stirrups before glancing over her shoulder at him.

 

“Saddle up, cowboy. Let’s get going,” she instructed.

 

Josh stood next to the horse with a puzzled look on this face. He reached for the saddle and then pulled his hand away and admitted sheepishly, “Uh… I’ve never done this before.”

 

“Never done what?” Jen asked as she backed the horse away from the fence post and turned toward Josh.

 

“Uh…well… See, I’ve never actually ridden a horse.”

 

Jen’s mouth hung open in shock, and she tried to speak without success. She flapped her mouth open and closed a few times until Josh snapped, “Stop making fish mouths, Jen, and tell me how to get on this damn thing.”

 

She glared at him and coolly informed him, “First of all, your horse is not a ‘damn thing.’ That horse is one of my favorites—a mare, which is a _she_ , and her name is Bullet. Second, if you’ve never ridden before in your life, you better trust me when I tell you to put those panty hose on before you get on Bullet. You—and your man bits, especially your balls—will thank me later.”

 

“I’m not wearing panty hose, Jennifer.” Josh’s mouth set in a firm line, and she recognized his stubborn expression. Once he reached that state, there was no point in arguing with him. She loved that Josh’s personality was usually very easy-going, but when he made up his mind, nothing short of dynamite could move him.

 

“Fine. Suit yourself. You’re the one who’s going to be holding your balls and bitching and moaning by the time we’re done.”

 

His facial expression remained stony.

 

“You just remember this conversation when I’m ready to go tonight, and you have to get creative to get me off because you can’t perform,” she said in disappointment.

 

His eyes flashed, but he didn’t relent.

 

With a sigh, she told him, “Grab ahold of the pommel. This thing here.” She indicated the knob at the front of her saddle. “Then stick your right foot in the stirrup and swing your left over the back of the saddle.”

 

Josh’s natural athleticism proved helpful as he swung into the saddle and settled his legs on each of Bullet’s sides.

 

“Now,” she continued, “unwind the reins from the pommel and hold them loosely in your hands. Bullet will follow my horse—his name’s Arrow, by the way—and all you have to do is hang on and enjoy the ride. Just keep the reins in your hands and your hands on the pommel. Lean forward slightly when we speed up and don’t dig your knees into her sides. Oh, and don’t pull back on the reins.”

 

He adjusted himself slightly and then looked at her. He nodded, but he clearly wasn’t entirely comfortable.

 

“You’ll be fine, hon,” Jen reassured him. “You’re athletic, and you’re a fast learner. Just follow me. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” he affirmed and settled his hands on the pommel.

 

Jen dug her knees into Arrow’s sides, and he broke into a trot. She glanced over her shoulder to see Josh still securely on Bullet’s back and nudged her own horse a little faster into a canter. It only took a few minutes before Josh relaxed. It didn’t surprise her at all that he was a natural at riding.

 

She turned Arrow toward a flat path that wound down to a small stream and stopped at the bank to allow the horses to drink. A light breeze lifted the hair from her neck, and orange and pink streaks shone in the west. They’d been riding for an hour already, and she wanted to make sure they made it to the grove before it was too dark to see.

 

“How’re you feeling, Josh?” she asked.

 

“Fantastic!” he answered. A smile graced his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. “I can’t believe I’ve never done this before. Thanks for doing this with me, Jen.”

 

“Thanks for coming to Camp Hi-Ho, Joshy. It’s been really great for the kids.”

 

“Of course. Anything for them,” he said softly and then hesitated before adding, “And anything for you.”

 

Their eyes met and a current passed between them.

 

“Your balls okay? I need them in working order. I need you naked tonight.”

 

He squirmed in his saddle a little and insisted, “They’ll work.”

 

“They don’t hurt?”

 

“Jennifer…”

 

“I was just checking,” she said in exasperation as she threw her hands up in surrender. “If they’re fine, then hold on. I’m impatient.”

 

She dug her heels into Arrow’s flanks, and he shot across the stream and into the open field on the other side. Bullet followed and Josh seemed to be fine, so Jen pushed Arrow to go faster toward the small grove of trees where the picnic dinner Jen had prepared that afternoon while Josh worked with the kids waited for them.

 

Ten minutes later, she pulled her horse to a stop and dismounted as Bullet joined them and Josh descended gingerly. He walked toward her with a slightly bowl-legged gait, and she grinned at him.

 

“I hear pantyhose will help with that,” she deadpanned.

 

“I hear an ice pack will too,” he returned drily.

 

She secured the reins from both horses to a low tree limb and then grabbed his hand to pull him into the glen where a blanket waited for them with a picnic basket.

 

“Hungry, Josh?” she asked sweetly with a wide innocent expression.

 

He narrowed his eyes at her and tried to figure out her tone. “Sure?”

 

“Good. Have a seat.” She settled next to the basket and opened it to peek inside. “Oh look. An ice pack’s right on top. You can start with that.”

 

She tossed it to him, and he winced as he situated it on his crotch. He breathed a sigh of relief through his teeth when the coolness eased his pain.

 

“How about some strawberries?” Jen pulled a plastic container of fruit to him and watched as he popped a couple in his mouth. She put one to her lips and sucked on the tip before running her tongue around the fruit. She glanced at him from under her eyelashes and smirked at the heat in his eyes.

 

“Jen,” he warned.

 

“What?” she asked and blinked her eyes rapidly in feigned confusion.

 

“Don’t tease,” he begged.

 

She took a bite of the strawberry and licked some juice from the corner of her mouth. In a throaty whisper, she answered, “Who says I’m teasing?”

 

Josh’s jaw flexed, and he shifted the ice pack a little lower. “It’s hard to take you too seriously when I have a bag of ice on my dick.”

 

“You’re the one who said an ice pack would help,” she informed him hauntingly. At his grimace, she added, “Or maybe a warm, wet mouth?”

 

His head flew up in hopeful anticipation. “Really?”

 

She nodded and slid toward him. She took the ice pack from his hand and tossed it off the side of the blanket and onto the grass. She slid her hand to cover his bulge and cupped it just slightly until Josh’s eyes fluttered in anticipation, and she felt his cock twitch inside his jeans.

 

“Let me see what’s under here,” she said in low, seductive voice while she worked to unbutton his waistband and pull the zipper down. When he moved to help her, she shook her head firmly. “Let me do it, Josh. Just relax.”

 

He sank down on his elbows and lifted his hips to help her pull his jeans from him. From that vantage point, he would have a perfect view when she took him in her mouth.

 

The ice pack hadn’t been terribly kind to his anatomy, so Jen breathed hotly on his balls until they returned to their normal state. When Josh moaned in appreciation, she palmed and fondled him until his dick pointed skyward, rock hard and ready for her.

 

“Jen,” he groaned as her mouth closed over him. His head fell back, and his jaw tightened to hold his mouth slightly open in awed acceptance of the attention she lavished upon him. Soft grunts of approval fell from his lips as she bobbed her head and moved her tongue and lips over his shaft. She released him up to the tip and sucked on it until he caught his breath and opened his eyes to stare into hers.

 

His hazel gaze cut into her blue one, and she pulled him deeper into her mouth. His flat stomach rose and fell quickly as he breathed quick gasps, and she could see ripples in his abs as he tightened under her oral onslaught.

 

“Jennifer,” he whispered before groaning, “Baby, your mouth is magic.”

 

She eased off him slightly and allowed more saliva to fill her mouth before taking him in deeper again.

 

“Shit!” he yelped as his cock jumped inside her mouth. “I’m so close. I want to be inside you. Please!” The tip of his cock hit the back of her throat and he shouted, “Now, Jen! Now! Please!”

 

She released him with a pop and frantically shoved her jeans and underwear from her before straddling him. His arms collapsed beneath him, and his back hit the blanket as she slid onto him.

 

“Josh,” she moaned in appreciation as he stretched her.

 

He reached for her and filled his hands with her ass. He kneaded her as he tugged her forward and then helped guide her up and down on his cock.

 

He mumbled her name in conjunction with incoherent moans of happiness as she rode him. Her legs and hips drove her harder and harder against him until she tightened in anticipation.

 

She untied the knot at the bottom of her shirt and slid the buttons open so Josh could caress her skin at the curve of her hips. She flipped open the front closure of her bra so her hands could cup her breasts and pinch her nipples into tight peaks. Her eyes fluttered with desire, and she gasped at the sensation of his warm hands on her hips and him buried inside her and bucking beneath her. She brought herself pleasure by caressing herself as the warm breeze wafted against her skin. The setting sun glinted off Josh’s skin and created a haze of golden light.

 

Her left hand slipped down to the juncture of her thighs and pressed the nub there with the pads of her index and middle fingers, and she screamed as she came. Frantically, she ground against him and pulsated around him as she found her release.

 

He released a stream of profanity as he sat up to press his chest against her partially clothed torso and shattered against her. His body quaked as he poured into her, and his mouth searched for hers in desperation.

 

“Jen,” he pled until her lips connected with his. Her arms gripped his back like a vise, and her knees squeezed against his hips.

 

“Yes,” she gasped as the last of her orgasm ripped from her.

 

Josh buried his face in her neck and trembled against her. His limbs and chest quivered until she wondered if he was alright.

 

With concern, she murmured against his ear, “You okay? Your balls?”

 

He nodded and pulled her into a closer hug before he lifted his head from her neck. He kissed a trail from her ear to her mouth and sighed against her lips, “I told you they’d work…”

 

“Yeah,” she agreed.

 

“…because I love you,” he finished as the sun slipped behind the trees, leaving their faces in shadows.

 


	12. Bawling

                                                            

What happened next shocked the hell out of me.

 

I’d just confessed to Jen that I loved her. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise. We'd loved each other for a very long time, but this was _the_ time; this time it meant more than a genuine, caring friendship. This time it declared the deep feelings that had intensified and eventually resulted in both of us finding a way to be together without the entanglements of other relationships.

 

As the sun slipped below the horizon, and we held each other after making love, I was sure Jen knew I loved her. Our bodies continued to quiver and shake as our sweaty skin melded together and our legs, arms, and fingers mimicked the intimate connection we’d practiced earlier.

 

So while it shouldn’t have shocked me, I also had to remember that this was Jen I was dealing with, and she was anything but predictable. In fact, unpredictable should have been her middle name.

 

As the setting sun cast our faces into the shadows, my confession whispered into the wind.

 

“I love you,” I told her.

 

And then she burst into tears.

 

Now when I say tears, I mean she bawled. Bawled like a baby. Bawled like her heart was broken, like someone she loved deeply had just died or her favorite pet had just been put down.

 

She broke down so badly that she could barely breathe. Her body quaked against me in great, wracking coughs until she choked and almost vomited.

 

Her reaction not only shocked me, but it scared the hell out of me, too.

 

“Jen! My god, Jen. What’s wrong?”

 

I rose frantically from my prone position and attempted to comfort her by gathering her into my arms. She fought me at first as tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sputtered and gasped for breath. Fluid covered her face, and I grabbed my discarded tank top to help her mop her tear-stained cheeks.

 

But she didn’t stop.

 

She kept bawling. Eventually, my hands fell to my sides helplessly, and I simply watched while the woman I love fell apart.

 

I couldn’t handle it for more than a few minutes before I reached for her again—this time more tenderly and with great trepidation.

 

My hands trailed up her arms gently and traced the hollow of her neck. Then they cupped her jaw, and I lifted her beautifully tortured face to mine. The tears magnified the blueness of her irises and emphasized the size and beauty of her gorgeous eyes.

 

I stroked my thumbs along the curve of her mouth, and my eyes flitted over her face endlessly.

 

“Shh… shh, baby. It’s okay. It’s okay,” I murmured softly. “It’s okay, honey. I’ve got you. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Her eyes focused slightly, and I could see her struggle to focus on me. Her naked chest heaved, and I fought to control my reaction to the way her breasts jiggled as she gasped for breath. This wasn’t the time to ogle her body. She was in pain, and I had to figure out why.

 

“It’s okay,” I repeated in a loving croon and shifted so I could pull her into my lap. This time she didn’t resist. She allowed me to pull her onto me, but her limbs hung limply, and I had to tuck her against me to hold her upright. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, baby.”

 

I rocked her slowly and gently and allowed my lips to trail reassuring kisses across her forehead and cheeks. Her warm skin stuck to mine, and I reveled in her softness, even as I fought to control my concern over her breakdown, trying not to panic.

 

As she bawled in my arms, I wondered, _Did she change her mind? Does she not love me back anymore? Did I say it too soon? Should I have waited for her to say it first?_

 

She nuzzled into my neck, and her gasps for air turned into soft hiccups as she calmed. I held her firmly but gently and simply waited for her. She’d tell me what was wrong when she was ready and able.

 

She stilled slowly, and her hiccups eased eventually until she whimpered in my arms, and I repeated, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

 

Her trembling hands lifted to my chest, and she trailed her fingers through the dark patch of hair between my pecks. Her hair tickled my jaw when she lifted her head to look at me.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said brokenly, and I felt an empathetic rush of my own tears in response to her obvious distress.

 

“It’s okay," I answered her. My own voice broke into a choked sob, and I dipped my head to break our gaze. I had to fight to regain my composure. After a couple of deep calming breaths, I lifted my eyes to hers.

 

She flicked her eyes back and forth across my face briefly and then asked in such a tentative voice, she barely sounded like herself, “You love me?”

 

I sagged in relief at her question. “Is that what this is about? Jennifer, you _know_ I love you.”

 

She pressed her lips together and then sighed, “I love you too, Josh.”

 

At her confession, she threw her arms around my neck and held me so tightly I struggled to breathe. I tightened my arms to cradle her against me and enjoyed the feel of her nipples pressing into me.

 

Blood rushed to my groin, and I felt myself thicken against the soft curve of her buttocks. She wiggled against me in an obvious display of pleased teasing.

 

Her smile practically split her face when she offered in explanation, “I knew you loved me. I know you love me, but hearing it—hearing it—you saying it—when it’s not a joke, when it’s not teasing, when it’s not for the camera or in a brother/sister context or in a close friendship situation…” She took another deep breath and said in a much steadier voice, “It makes it a lot more real.”

 

I nodded in agreement, “It is real. I love you, Jennifer…” My throat tightened with feeling, and I shook myself. I hadn’t realized how emotional admitting this would be. “…in every way I can love a person.”

 

Her eyes softened, and she grinned at me. “Wanna tell me about it, Joshy?”

 

“Hmm… I do. It’s getting dark. How about I talk you through it since you won’t be able to see?”

 

Her skin was velvety soft against me as she purred in my ear, “Do whatever you want to me, honey. I’m yours.”

 

I lifted my mouth to hers and sucked her plump bottom lip between my teeth to nip at her. Her breath caught in her throat in a soft squeak, and I took that opportunity to lay her gently back on the blanket and stretch out on top of her. She was so soft, so lean and tight and gorgeous and willing, that I almost lost control, but I wanted to create a slow burn. Something that would make her beg me for fulfillment.

 

I softened my kiss and deepened it so that our mouths fused together and our tongues tangled hotly. When she was gasping for air, I tore my lips from hers and breathed a scorching trail of kisses down her throat to the hollow between her neck and shoulder blade, lavishing it with attention.

 

“Jennifer,” I exhaled.

 

“Mmmm?” she managed to gasp as she clawed at my hair.

 

With a soft kiss to her collarbone, I murmured, “I love you, Jennifer,” and then I moved to the valley between her breasts. I kissed the curve of her left breast and licked across it to pull her peak into my mouth and tease it with the tip of my tongue.

 

“Ah,” she huffed as I flicked her bud and puckered my lips to slowly release her.

 

“I love you so…” I said as I traced her curve with my tongue. “So…”  I covered her right breast with soft kisses. “So…”  I sucked her right nipple into my mouth until she cried out in pleasure. “Much,” I finished as I nipped it gently, and her head shot off the blanket with a feral look in her eyes. She was squirming under me, which meant she was close to her sexual threshold. I had every intention of satisfying her, but I wanted to tease her a little bit more first.

 

“Josh,” she moaned as her head rolled slowly from side to side. I ran my hand across her hip and down her thigh, and she closed her eyes and sighed, “Yes, Josh.”

 

“I know you like that, baby. I know you do,” I hummed against her skin. My lips left her breasts and moved further down to her navel. I breathed into her belly button and watched her abdominal muscles tighten and relax as her arousal built.

 

“Josh,” she whimpered again, but I didn’t stop.

 

My head dipped lower to nestle in the soft patch of hair between her legs, and she groaned with longing. Her legs fell open for me, and I blew a soft puff of air on her clit.

 

“Please,” she pled with a longing so intense it hurt to hear. “Please. Please, now.”

 

“Soon, baby,” I said as I nuzzled into her. “Soon.”

 

Jen’s legs were amazing. They'd always been one of my favorite things about her. They were long and toned and looked incredible wrapped around me, and that was what I wanted. I spent some time caressing and massaging her inner thighs with my mouth and hands, and then I wrapped those gorgeous limbs around me and slid my fingers into her wet warmth.

 

“Oh my god,” she wailed when my middle finger slipped into her heat and my thumb flicked across her clit. Her knees tightened against my neck, but I loosened them with my left hand. My right continued to plunge into her and work her nub until she was a quivering mess. When it was clear she was about to lose it, I pulled my fingers from her and licked them clean. The tanginess of her juices made me so hard I wanted to pull her onto me and fuck her until she screamed, but I wanted to make her happy in a different way more. I adjusted her legs around my shoulders and neck and buried my face in her folds.

 

“Oh, shit!” she hissed, and I grinned against her.

 

Her hands found my head, and she wove her fingers through my hair to pull me tighter against her. Her hips lifted slightly in tiny pulses against my mouth as I ran my tongue along the crease and breathed in her musky scent.

 

My tongue delved into her, finding layer after layer of slick wetness. I stuck my tongue as far inside her as I could and wiggled it as I burrowed into her. I could feel her walls clench in response to my ministrations, and I heard her moan as she tensed and released a small wave of fluid.

 

“Mmmm,” I groaned as I tasted the evidence of her orgasm. She tasted so sweet, like cantaloupe and a sexy woman. “Jen… Jennifer,” I growled as she thrust into me, and my nose dipped into her further.

 

She continued to chant my name in time with her pelvis thrusts. Her legs spread wider so I could access all of her, and I nuzzled her clit with my teeth until she released a wail that sounded like she was crying. When I tried to back away to see if she was okay, she gripped my hair and pulled me against her tighter, so I flicked the tip of my tongue against her clit and listened to her sexy grunts and gasps as she neared the precipice.

 

I shook my head to get deeper, but I was already as far into her as I could possibly get.  However, the side to side pressure seemed to do the trick because Jen arched her back and screamed my name as waves of release wracked her body.

 

Her fingers gripped my hair, and I swallowed and sucked on her. Fluid filled my mouth and covered my face, and I reveled in it. I couldn’t remember the last time Jen had completely lost control this way. She thrashed as she came, her hips thrusting against me and her face a mask of sexual bliss.

 

I kept sucking and licking as she calmed, and I smiled when the fight went out of her. She slumped against the blanket, her legs at awkward angles that only resulted when a person was so sexually satisfied that they were limp with happiness.

 

When it was clear she was finished, I pulled up to sit on my knees and wiped the moisture from my face. My hand was covered with her cum, so I used it as lubricant for my own relief. Eating her out and getting such a fulfilling reaction made me harder than was comfortable, so I pulled and jerked until I felt my own release start to build.

 

I hunched over and pumped while she gasped for breath, and I couldn’t stop the grunts that fell from me. When she realized what I was doing, she sat up quickly and put her hand over mine.

 

“Josh,” she said as I lifted my eyes to meet hers. When she stopped me, I felt frantic. I didn’t know I needed a release until I wasn’t sure if I’d get one or not.

 

I choked on my own groan and tried to swallow my disappointment. The tanginess from her orgasm clung to my lips.

 

She kissed me then—deeply and with a soft, languid tongue that drove me wild. I pressed into her, and she lay back and pulled me on top of her again. When I was settled over her, she raised those long, lean legs of hers and wrapped them around my waist to draw me inside.

 

“Make love to me, Josh,” she whispered in my left ear.

 

My eyes fluttered closed as she enveloped me, and I felt her warmth surround my hard cock.  “Fuck yes,” I breathed in a broken voice as I drove into her and heard her moan incoherently.

 

We’d been there so long that I could barely see her face. The only light in the west was a faint hint of orange, and the shadows grew darker every second, but I didn’t need to see her to know what she looked like. I knew her eyes were closed, and she was biting her lower lip in ecstasy. I knew her eyebrows were lifted to show her deep arousal, and I knew the feel of her underneath me.

 

I drove into her again, and I felt her legs tighten around my hips and lower back. I stilled inside her and felt her walls clench me until I had to pull out and thrust in again. I tried to prolong it, to stay buried in her forever, but I was too far gone. Two more thrusts, and I groaned her name and spurted inside her.

 

It felt like coming home.

 

“Jen. God, Jen. Oh, shit,” I groaned as I emptied into her. My body quivered, and I collapsed on top of her as she gathered me closer against her with her arms and legs.

 

And then I started bawling, too.

 

I wasn't the most stoic person in the world, but I wasn't really someone who broke down in uncontrollable tears every day either. But this time I was the one sobbing. I was the one who felt like my heart was breaking because I realized at that moment how much this woman meant to me, and I knew the challenge of trying to keep her in my life.

 

Jen and I were actors. We lived in LA with paparazzi and gossip sites and every other media source that made our lives open to the public. We worked on projects for months at a time, but this time there wouldn’t be any more movies as Katniss and Peeta. Who knew if we’d get a chance to work together again anytime soon?

 

This time it was Jen who gathered me against her chest and held me while I bawled my eyes out.  She was the one who soothed me, and she let me get my emotions out before she lifted my chin and gently asked me, “What’s wrong, baby?” before pressing a sweet kiss to my lips.

 

“You know what’s wrong,” I sputtered, and she nodded because she did.

 

She tucked my head under her chin and stroked my back as I calmed. “I do know,” she murmured quietly. “But, Josh, we can beat the odds. We love each other so deeply, with every fiber of our beings. We’re friends and lovers. We’ve been through so much together, and I can’t imagine waking up and not having you in my life that day.”

 

A sob caught in my throat, and I gulped for air. “Just promise me, Jen. Promise me we’ll give it our all.”

 

I lifted my head to kiss her firmly and tried to take comfort from the solidity of her.

 

“Joshy,” she said in mock seriousness, “you know me. You know us. We always go all out. Balls to the wall, remember?”

 

And as much as we’d been bawling earlier, both of us started to laugh. It erupted from us in wave after wave of relief. We clung to each other as my tears of sadness turned to those of laughter. My stomach hurt so much that I had to gasp for air.

 

It took several minutes, but I managed to pant, “How does it always come back to balls for us?”

 

“Ah, Joshy,” Jennifer said softly. Her hand trailed down to cup mine in her palm, and she caressed me lovingly. “Because you have such good balls, baby.”

 

“Love you,” I said before pressing my lips to hers.

 

When I let her go, she answered, “Love you too, baby.”

 


	13. Spit Balling

“Mmm…”

“Yeah…”

Soft sounds of contentment filled the room as their ragged breathing smoothed to satisfied sighs. Josh moved his arms so Jen could slip into the crook of his elbow and inhaled deeply before releasing a gust of air that expelled all the tension he’d bottled up over the past few weeks.

Not surprisingly, he still loved her. Not that there was much chance of that changing. It had been only a few weeks since they acknowledged and confessed their feelings to each other after a horseback ride, picnic dinner, and lovemaking at sunset. Josh’s body, especially some of his most private parts, had ached for days after that, but nothing could ever make him regret spending that time together. The intimacy they’d shared that night went far beyond physical. In addition, they’d connected on an emotional and mental level, and Josh also believed something even deeper.

Their souls had joined that night, and he hoped they stayed connected forever.

Yes, he was that much of a romantic—someone who loved deeply and without reservation; someone who wanted nothing but the absolute best for the person he dated, even if that meant giving into things he didn’t always like. Jen knew herself far better than she wanted to admit. She often made light of her own strength and sense of self, but Josh knew her so well and so deeply that he recognized she did those things to disguise some of her most treasured beliefs.

Jen knew who she was and what she wanted, and Josh wanted those things for her. She loved her job but hated the fame and inconveniences that came with it, just as he did. She tended to be more private than him, and that was fine, but that also meant they didn’t always approach things the same way. As a result, the most frustration they’d experienced in the months since they started dating, and especially during the weeks after admitting their feelings for each other, was about deciding how to announce their relationship to the public—or if they should at all.

They’d gone round and round about it. It wasn’t that they argued. It was that they couldn’t come to a resolution because neither of them was sure what would allow them the most privacy to explore their devotion for each other while negotiating interviews, public events, auditions, awards shows, and all the other things the public believed should be available for its consumption.

“I don’t want to deny how I feel about you, Josh,” Jen had admitted one night a couple of weeks prior as they sat together on his couch, her body curled against his and his fingers trailing across the smooth skin on her neck.

He’d nodded silently and attempted to dispel the hurt in the pit of his stomach that she’d so far refused to tell anyone except her immediate family that they were together. Josh was positive their friends and former cast mates knew. They hadn’t exactly been secretive about spending copious amounts of time together, but they also hadn’t been caught in an intimate act or been blatant about the fact that they’d explored each other’s bodies, their feelings having moved so far past the deep friendship they’d always shared to something much more wonderful and painful and scary and earth-shattering.

“I just don’t know if I want to allow the press to have access to how much you mean to me,” she’d said against his chest. “You’re too special, and they can’t have that. If they know how much I love you, the stories will start—about how you’re not good enough for me or how I’m not good enough for you or how it’s something cheap because it resulted from a cast hookup and not because we really care about each other. You know how it is, Josh. You  _know_  how it is, and I’m afraid I’ll snap if someone criticizes you or us to my face.”

He’d smiled at that and tightened his arms around her before bringing her lips to his for the softest, most intense kiss he’d ever experienced. His heart had felt like it’d been pulverized with a jackhammer because it was then he knew how desperately she loved him—enough to protect him from Hollywood, and nothing could do that.

It was then that he realized the hardest part about his job wasn’t his own lack of privacy. Instead, it was that his fame resulted in the over-exposure and unfair criticism of every single person he loved and wanted to protect and shield from every bad thing in the world.

He loved Jen, and he wanted to be with her forever, and that meant a family. And if he loved her so much, he couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to have a child he’d love even more be criticized and examined and talked about just because his or her daddy and mommy were famous.

Because those thoughts terrified him and because he had no idea how to reconcile them with his long-time dream of having as normal a life as possible, he’d kissed her eyelids that were swollen with worry and fatigue and made love to her. That was the second time their souls connected, and he’d fallen apart in her arms that night with the realization that they both had some decisions to make.

The discussions continued and so did their tactic of initiating sex when they couldn’t figure out a solution to the problem. Both had led to their current situation.

Josh ran his fingertips along her arm and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He breathed in the scent of her and enjoyed the sensation of her silky hair and warm skin against him. With a contented sigh, he tightened his arms around her.

She released an unintelligible sound from the back of her throat, stretched, and then cuddled closer against him. With a gentle smile on her face, she murmured into his chest, “So, how are we going to do this, Josh?”

Feigning innocence, Josh ran his fingers through her shorn locks and asked lazily, “What do you mean, Jen? I think we already have it figured out, don’t you?” The gruff tinge to his voice indicated he was extremely pleased with himself, and he should have been. He’d just performed flawlessly if the noises she’d made had been any indication, and Jen wasn’t one to hold back or fake anything. She was one of the most genuine people he knew.

She snorted with laughter and pinched his side, which made him jerk under her. “I meant about going public.”

He grabbed her hand to stop her from pinching him again and said, “You know, if we’d been thinking, you could have just come to the SBNN game with me, and that probably would have done the job for us.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “I’m not sure we were there at that point.”

She was right. They hadn’t been yet. That had been just a week or so after they’d confessed their feelings, and things had been much too new to make any major decisions about going public.

After a pause, she wondered aloud, “What about if we let it slip during press for _Mockingjay_? I don’t really think anyone would be surprised.”

“We could,” he agreed in a measured voice.

“You don’t seem convinced,” she observed. She could read him so well that she knew he wasn’t entirely on board with her suggestion.

He sighed so heavily that she propped herself on one elbow and studied his face. The sheet that covered them slipped to reveal the swell of her breasts, and his eyes flickered to them. She was so beautiful, and Josh was reminded again how incredibly fortunate he was to be with her.

“Eyes up, Joshy,” she teased. “We just put off the conversation with sex. I don’t think you’re ready to go again.” He narrowed his eyes at her, and she grinned. She added wryly, “You’re good, baby, but you’re not a superhero.”

Josh stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes to rest them. They were dry and stung, and his body was exhausted from what they’d just done.

She bent down and playfully nipped his shoulder with her teeth and joked, “Don’t fall asleep on me now, stud. I need your opinion.”

Clearly exasperated, he bit out, “Hell, Jennifer. I don’t know what we should do. We’ve been discussing this for weeks, and we’re no closer to figuring it out than we were when this all started. Aren’t we both just spit balling here? If we get a good enough one it’ll stick to the wall? Otherwise, it’s a failure. I don’t want us to be a failure.”

Her face reflected shock and sadness, and she whispered, “We could never be a failure, Josh.”

The pain in her voice angered him, and suddenly he couldn’t take it anymore. He threw the covers from him and jumped out of bed before turning to her and announcing, “I’m going to take a shower. Alone.” When she started to protest, he snapped, “I need some time. Just let me have this.”

He turned his back on her then and stalked to his bathroom. In a flash of a temper tantrum, he slammed the door behind him before placing both of his clenched fists on the counter and releasing a howl of frustration.

Within seconds, Jen knocked on the door and yelled, “Josh, are you okay?”

He pounded one fist on the edge of the sink and ran the other through his hair so that it stood up on end before bellowing, “I’m fine, Jen! I said I was fine. I’ll be out in a minute. Leave me alone, dammit!”

He could imagine her on the other side of the door with her middle finger raised at him and a hint of hurt in her eyes, but there was one thing he could always count on with her. She understood him, and she wouldn’t hold his snappy responses against him. He rarely lost his temper, and when he did, she knew he was frustrated and trying to work through something.

He stomped to the shower, turned the knobs to full blast and waited for the steam to billow and fog the glass walls. When the stall was frosted with condensation, he stepped in and pulled the door closed behind him.

The hot water pounded his face and shoulders and stung his skin. He opened his mouth under the spray and let it run down his chin before spitting a mouthful onto the floor and turning around so his back could suffer the same scalding water. He wasn’t sure what he hoped to gain from this except eradication of his frustration.

What was it he was so mad about anyway? He had everything—a successful career that he loved, more money in the bank than he could ever spend, family and friends who loved him and were loyal and supportive, a comfortable house that had increased in value since he purchased it, and a girlfriend he loved beyond comprehension.

A girlfriend who loved him the same way, who wanted privacy and discretion, and who he couldn’t protect from the wolves outside this house who wanted nothing more than to destroy the secrecy they sometimes were forced to engage in so they could live their lives.

Anger boiled inside him—not at her but at the unfairness of it all. He was so lucky and so blessed and so fortunate, but there were prices that accompanied his and her fame. He hadn’t been so frustrated about it until the woman he loved looked at him with desperation in her eyes that begged him to fix the problem. And he couldn’t. Nothing could fix it.

He circled slowly under the spray and allowed his thoughts to swirl. No solution presented itself, so he grabbed his body wash and squirted some in his hand. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he ran his hands over himself and relished in the feel of the bubbles caressing his skin. He had just lathered his balls and the thatch of hair that surrounded them when something clicked. He rubbed himself absentmindedly as switch after switch flipped in his head.

“Well, shit,” he muttered.

He had two choices. He could wallow in the unfairness of it all and let fear over losing her and anger over not being able to protect her ruin their relationship, or he could man up and face it with the knowledge that she’d fight for them as hard as he would fight for her.

They were both fighters.

Unable to stay away from her for another second, he rinsed himself, shut off the water, and grabbed a towel. He wiped himself hastily, rubbed his hair to damp, and tied the towel around his waist. Bursting from the bathroom, he blurted, “Jen, hon, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m ready to talk— What the hell?”

In the few minutes he’d been in the shower, Jen had found a roll of electrical tape he didn’t even know he had and created a bull’s-eye on his bedroom wall. She sat on the edge of his bed with an array of straws, paper, water, a pen, and a pad of post-it notes. Her hair was still mussed from their time in bed together, and she was wearing a white tank top with no bra and cotton sleep shorts that made her legs look a mile long. Her face was a mask of patient indulgence, and her eyes flicked from his hair that stuck up in a million directions to his wide eyes to his bare chest.

With a smile, she said, “How about a game of spitball?”

Shaking his head in disbelief, he sputtered, “I don’t think it’s a game, Jen. I think spitballs are what you do in elementary when you want to get the attention of the girl you like.”

She laughed in a low chuckle that rolled from her. “You have my attention. We’re gonna make this a game.”

Jen picked up the post-its and the pen and said, “Okay, option one is to allow our publicists to release a statement that you and I are together—that we’ve been dating for a while and that we’re ready to go public.”

He started to interrupt, but she simply wrote the word “publicist” on the pad, removed the top note, stuck it to the wall, and kept talking.

“Option two is going out in public and letting our PDA out us. I’ll even grab your ass if this is the one we choose.”

“Jen,” he said in an attempt to interrupt her, but she kept going.

“How about…hmm…let me think,” she pondered. “Wait for  _Mockingjay_  press and answer the question truthfully when they ask us about whether or not there’s anything romantic between us. You know that will happen.”

He nodded in agreement. That question emerged in every press day.

“Option four—we don’t tell and wait for the paps to figure it out.” Her expression clouded as she slammed the note to the wall. Clearly that wasn’t her favorite option.

Josh crossed to the bed, picked up a piece of paper, and tore a small square. Jen glanced at him and said, “I got some water for you to use if you don’t want to chew on the paper. Wasn’t sure how you felt about actual spitballs all over your wall.”

She scribbled furiously on the pad in her hand and stuck another four or five to the wall in various locations within the black circles. Josh’s hands twitched as her shorts exposed the curve of her ass when she stretched to reach higher up the wall. She turned to him with her chest heaving. She’d been calm when he entered the room, but she was worked up now.

Before she could react, he blew a soggy piece of paper through the straw in his mouth and hit her squarely in her chest just above her rounded neckline. She yelped in disgust and disbelief as his laughter echoed through the room.

“Got you,” Josh gloated before ducking the pen and post-its she threw at him.

“You… you…  _you_!” Jen cried as she rushed him.

He caught her and wrapped his arms around her before laughing as her struggling against him caused his towel to slip from his waist. He wasn’t hard, but it always felt amazing when his skin touched hers.

“I love you, baby,” he chuckled as she stopped fighting him and relaxed in his arms.

Sighing in surrender, she lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “Dammit, I love you too, Joshy. No matter how much of an asshole you can be.”

“Ditto,” he answered with a chuckle.

They stood together for several minutes, him naked, her scantily clad, before either made a move to separate. They drew comfort from each other and braced themselves to make the decision together—whether through the game or discussing it further.

Finally, Josh loosened his grip and asked, “So, what are we doing?”

At Jen’s shrug, he suggested, “Okay, how about this? We stand with our backs to the target and when the other says go, we turn around and launch one. Three times. Whatever one has the most spitballs closest to it is the winner. Six spitballs should be enough.”

“What if there’s a tie?”

He gave her the half-smile he knew she loved. “I’m perfectly happy to let the woman in my life take charge and break the tie.”

She lifted her hand to his cheek and lovingly caressed his jaw that was covered in two days’ worth of growth.

“Deal. You go first.”

Josh wet another piece of paper, wadded it into a small ball, and loaded it into the straw. On her cue, he turned and blew the spitball at the wall and barked in triumph when it stuck near one of the options.

Jen went next, and they alternated until all six spitballs decorated his bedroom wall.

Hand in hand, they faced the target and assessed the damage. One post-it had a direct hit and one other clung to the wall just a few inches away. Josh reached up to pull the yellow paper from the wall and looked at Jen.

“Are you okay with this?” he asked.

She nodded and kissed him softly. “If you’re okay basing the future of our relationship on a spitball, then so am I.”

“A spitball and a lot of love,” he amended before pulling her into his arms.


	14. Ballin'

The afternoon sun peeked out from behind the clouds and illuminated the counter at which Jennifer sat, reading a book and waiting for her boyfriend to return home. She hadn’t been there long, just long enough to settle onto the stool at the kitchen island and grab a bottle of water from his fridge. As the pages of her paperback glowed yellow, she sighed in contentment and rested her chin in her palm.

Something about being in Josh’s house made her happy. Being with him made her happy, too. There were days when she woke up, whether in his arms or not, and couldn’t quite believe it was real. Sometimes she wondered if she’d imagined it all, and she and Josh were really only friends.

But then again, they’d never been only friends. Soul mates tend to recognize each other, and they certainly had seen something special when they met.

Josh’s easy-going attitude complemented her more anxious nature, and that seemed to work in their favor. Just a few nights prior, they’d worked through their most frustrating problem and decided how to address their relationship to the public. She smiled to herself as she remembered Josh standing in his towel, the cut in his hips prominent, blowing spitballs at his bedroom wall. It wasn’t an image she was likely to forget any time soon.

As good as he’d looked then and always looked to her, it was the sense of belonging she felt with him that made her so utterly grateful they’d finally acted on their feelings. Every time he opened his arms and she nestled in his embrace, she felt at home.

“Heads up!” Josh called, and Jen glanced up in time to see an orange blur flying toward her. With a startled shriek, she raised her hands in time to knock the basketball to the floor before it collided with her face. She yelped in pain when two of her fingernails bent back from the force of the throw.

“Josh! What the hell?” she shouted in outrage.

Josh crossed his kitchen toward her and leaned down to drop a loud, smacking kiss on her forehead as he made his way to the refrigerator to grab a drink.

“Sorry, baby,” he said before gulping half a bottle of Gatorade and wiping his mouth with the bottom of his sweaty t-shirt.

“You better be fucking sorry,” Jen muttered under her breath. Josh either didn’t hear her or didn’t bother to respond, so Jen took the opportunity to sit back and survey her boyfriend.

He’d just returned home from his E-league basketball practice, and she’d been waiting for him in his kitchen. Sweat beads stood out on his face, and a sheen of perspiration covered most of his exposed skin. His biceps flexed as he finished his drink and reached for another one, and his forehead was plastered with patches of sweaty hair. His shorts hung to his knees, and his high-top clad feet turned in slightly the way they always did. As he took a long drink from his bottle of water, his Adam’s apple bobbed under his three-day-old stubble.

Her mouth watered at the image. She ducked her head to hide her smile, and she realized her irritation had disappeared completely while she checked him out.

Jen jerked her head up when Josh moved behind her and set his chin on her shoulder. His arms snaked around her waist, and his embrace engulfed her warmly. She leaned into his chest, and his lips found her neck and placed several butterfly kisses in the hollow below her left ear before he chuckled at her happy sigh.

“Mmm… You smell good, baby. Much better than me.”

“True,” she agreed with a laugh, “but I kind of like you sweaty.”

“You do, huh?”

She nodded solemnly. “I do.”

He pulled his arms from her and spun her around on the barstool. “You wanna head to the bedroom?”

His overly exaggerated suggestive leer made her laugh out loud. She gave him a coy smile and suggested, “Why don’t we play a pickup game? Then maybe I can smell like you, and we can get in the shower together later.”

“Deal,” he barked and reached down to pick up the basketball from the kitchen floor before heading to the door. “See you on the court.”

 _Well, that didn’t take much convincing_ , she mused as she rose from the barstool and rummaged in her purse to find a hair tie. She’d stopped keeping very many handy when she cut her hair, but her locks had grown enough in the past year that she needed to pull them back from her face when she worked out. She had a feeling this pickup game with Josh would be closer to a workout than she wanted.

She took her time as she trailed behind him, out the door, and onto the makeshift basketball court he’d made in his driveway. Josh was there, impatiently dribbling and biting his lower lip.

“Hurry your ass up, Jen,” he called as she watched him from the doorway.

“Patience, grasshopper,” she said with more than a little sarcasm.

Josh’s eyes narrowed, and he snapped, “I’m tired. I just ran like crazy for the past couple of hours, and you’ve been sitting on your more-perfect-than-I-want-to-admit-fanny doing nothing. All I want is a damn shower and some sex with my girlfriend before I eat my weight in sushi and sleep for a decade.”

“Josh, it’s 4:00. You don’t go to sleep until after midnight. You don’t take long showers, and your stamina…” She laughed and caught the ball as he threw it at her. The glare on his face bordered on slight amusement and outright anger. “Okay, okay,” she relented, “your stamina is wonderful, stud muffin.”

“I’ll show you stamina in the shower, Jennifer,” he growled. “Now, shoot the damn ball.”

“I’m sorry,” she said innocently. “I need to tie my shoe.”

She was barely able to contain her laughter as she turned so that her back faced him, placed the basketball on the ground, put her foot on top of it, and made a show of bending over to tie the loose laces. The white leggings she was wearing left very little to the imagination, and she took her time while bent over.

When she straightened, Josh’s eyes were slightly clouded, and he adjusted himself through his shorts.

“Very funny. Quit showing off and let’s play. If you’re just interested in torturing me, I’m about out of patience.”

She snickered and responded, “I’m always interested in torturing you.”

His eyes flashed with a hint of danger before she continued, “And you always seem to enjoy every bit of it.”

As he narrowed his eyes at her, she lifted the ball over her head, shot it, and smiled smugly when it swished through the net.

“Made it. Two points. Your turn,” she chirped in as irritating a voice as she could manage.

“Shit,” he cursed as he shook his head. It took less than two seconds for him to get back in the game. Before she could catch her breath, he had the ball, checked it to her, and drove past her for a layup.

“Ah, there’s my little competitive guy,” she teased as he tossed her the ball.

He froze at her words, and she realized in seconds that she’d unintentionally insulted him. Before he could walk away, she bounced the ball to him and said, “That was supposed to be a compliment, but it came out wrong. Take a point—and you know how much I hate to lose.”

“Just play, Jen, before I change my mind about what I want to do tonight.” His clipped tone indicated his annoyance, and she decided not to infuriate him further. Instead, she set her shoulders and drove toward the basket.

They played for almost thirty minutes, and they played hard. Josh’s natural athleticism meant that she had to work twice as hard to stay close. Her competitive nature spurred her to fight for every point she got, but he still outscored her easily.

“Dammit!” she yelled in frustration when he stole the ball from her again and drove to the basket for another layup. She muttered under her breath as she retrieved the basketball from under the goal.

“What was that, Jen?” Josh taunted.

Jen tossed a glare over her shoulder and dribbled the basketball back and forth between her hands—first to the right and then back to her left and dominant hand—as she moved to the top of the key. When her irritation waned slightly, she turned to face her opponent and continued to dribble.

“I told you to stop being a dick,” she said steadily. The less emotion she showed, the better. She knew this about him. They were both insanely competitive, but the silly pickup game they were playing had gotten much too heated much too quickly.

Josh’s response clearly revealed his cavalier attitude toward Jen’s current frustrations. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you over the sound of my shot swishing through the net.”

“You little…” she started and then settled her mouth into a firm line. He was trying to get a reaction from her, and she refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Come on, Jen,” he smirked. “Just give up and admit that I beat the pants off of you so I can actually take your pants off and get you naked in the shower. I mean, you did kinda promise me that.”

She leveled her gaze at him and rolled her eyes at his smugness. “Keep talking, Hutch. Keep talking and your shower will be empty tonight, as will your bed.”

He snorted at her threat. They hadn’t spent more than one night apart since they started dating, except when they were in different towns.

“Keep going then. First one to 25 wins? Ah…too late. How about 30? Nope. Already passed that.” He added smugly, “If you want to play to 100, we’ll keep going, but I might wear out before then. I’ve been playing for four hours now.”

“Poor baby,” she pouted on his behalf before relenting. “Okay, fine. We’ll play to 50, and then we’ll stop.  _My_  stamina is fine, after all.”

“Play ball, Mouthy,” he leered. “That’s your new nickname from me. Mouthy. It suits you.”

“Oh, I’ll show you mouth,” she threatened as she drove toward him. Josh shifted his defensive stance to force her to the right, and before she knew what had happened, she had to pick up her dribble. He swatted at the basketball, stole it again, and scored another basket.

He howled in triumph before catching the ball as it bounced and passing it back to her. She scowled and tried to drive past him again, but he forced her to pick up her dribble a second time. Frustrated, she stuck her elbows out and twisted back and forth in an attempt to keep the ball away from his quick hands.

“Shit!” he yelped as her elbow connected with his head. He stumbled backwards with his hands clasped over his left eye and cursed a stream of profanity.

Instantly, Jen covered her mouth in horror and dropped the basketball. Reaching out to him, she took a step toward him, but he staggered away from her.

“Josh,” she whimpered. “I’m so sorry, honey!”

He lifted his hand and backed away from her further. “It’s fine. Just leave me alone for a minute.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she witnessed his obvious pain. He bent over at the waist and pressed the heel of his right hand against his eye in an attempt to stop it from watering. Curse words fell from his lips continually, and she stood helplessly as her throat closed with barely controlled sobs.

“Josh,” she tried again, but he shook his head. She stood despondently with her hands at her sides while he winced in pain.

Sweat rolled down her back, and she gasped for air. The basketball rolled at her feet, and she thought then how silly their competiveness was when it had led to his injury. The longer he spent trying to gain control of his pain, the more tears slid down her cheeks in sympathy.

After what seemed like forever, Josh straightened and grimaced in agony. He pulled his hand from his eye and said drolly, “You didn’t have to hit me just because you’re losing, Jennifer.”

She stood in shock for a second before a wry smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. When she realized he was gently mocking her, she laughed through her tears and flung her arms around him.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you!” she sobbed against his shoulder.

“Shh, sweetie,” he crooned into her hair. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

When she gained control of herself, she raised her face to look at him and gasped. “Oh, shit! Did I do that to you?” Josh’s left eye was red, and the area around it shone a little pinker than normal.

“Well, yeah,” he answered. “Did you see anyone else out here hitting me in the face with their elbow?”

A stricken look spread across her face at his words, and tears flooded her eyes again.

“Jen, don’t,” he said. “Stop crying. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, but it does hurt, and I’m tired, so I’m a little bit grouchy right now. Also, I’m starving. Do you smell bad enough that we can get in the shower now? Because I really want to get you naked, and then I think maybe I want some pizza. Sushi just isn’t going to cut it tonight.”

She hiccupped and nodded before grabbing his hand and walking with him into the house. They moved silently down the hall to his bathroom and undressed as steam filled the room. When they were both naked, she pulled him into the shower and faced him before raising her lips to place the softest of kisses around his injured eye. He winced twice but sighed in contentment before kissing her lips and grabbing the shampoo.

“Let’s wash so we can get down to the fun,” he suggested, and she nodded in agreement. She needed the comfort being in his arms always provided.

When they’d both shampooed and washed the sweat from their bodies, Josh pulled Jen toward him and ran his hands up and down her wet skin. Without a word, he kissed her and opened her mouth with his tongue to taste her. His hands moved slowly across her body; first, he cupped her ass in his calloused palms and pulled her against his hardening erection. Then he ran his thumbs across her nipples and massaged her breasts. Soft whimpers fell from her lips as she returned the favor. Her hands ran over him continuously until he pushed her back against the wall of the shower and slowly sank into her.

“Josh,” she panted and then fell silent.

Her eyes closed as she lost herself in him, and he plunged into her slowly and steadily as their lips met repeatedly in loving caresses. He rocked in and out, and her hips met with his every time. In between kisses, he grunted her name as he sank into her heat. Jen wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as he wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her back to the glass with his thrusts.

“I love you, Jennifer,” he moaned as his pace quickened. “Oh, god, I love you.”

A coil of heat sparked in the pit of her stomach, and she gasped into his ear, “Fuck, I love you too, Josh.  Keep going.” At her encouragement, his hips slapped against hers harder, and she groaned in approval, “Yes, baby. Harder.” She consciously contracted to caress him inside her, and it was clear he felt her tightening around him.

“Yes,” he growled as he drove into her. “Fuck, it feels good. Oh, shit! I can’t—ohhhhhh…” he moaned as he pulsed inside her. “Fucking stamina,” he growled, and he reached between them and frantically rubbed her clit as he emptied himself. “Come on, Jen. Come on, baby,” he begged until she screamed into the wet skin on his neck as her body exploded, and she fell apart against him.

They both huffed and gasped for air as their mouths moved together. They clung to each other in the heat of shower, and both recognized the sensuousness of their coupling. He wanted to be inside her, and she wanted him there. Sometimes sex was frantic.  Sometimes it was hard and dirty. And sometimes it was so full of passion that she felt as if fire consumed her when she released in his arms.  Today was one of those days.

Their breathing slowly returned to normal, but both of them hesitated to leave the haven they’d created. They continued to kiss languidly until Josh’s stomach growled so loudly that they dissolved into laughter with their mouths still pressed together.

“Pizza?” he asked when they were able to control their mirth, and she agreed.

They dried, and Josh tossed her one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants before calling in the pizza order. Once they were dressed, they settled on the couch to watch TV until the food arrived. Josh rested his cheek on Jen’s head but gasped in pain. His eye had swollen considerably during their time in the shower. Jen lifted her fingers and cautiously probed the skin, but Josh flinched every time she touched him.

“That’s looking nasty, Josh. Your eyeball is bloodshot, and you’re going to have a kickass bruise tomorrow. Let me get an ice pack for you.”

“Thanks, hon. It hurts like a bitch, and things are a little blurry.”

She returned from the kitchen with a bag of frozen peas and placed it carefully on his eye. “There you go, baby,” she said sweetly, but no matter how calm she sounded, her internal voice screamed at her that the injury looked pretty bad.

Over and over, she tortured herself with the thought:  _I hope his eye’s not messed up. The last thing we need is an emergency room visit together. Then everyone will know._


	15. Eye On the Ball

I have to admit it doesn’t suck. You know, sitting on my couch with my Academy Award winning girlfriend cuddled up against me, wearing my clothes, and waiting on me hand and foot because she elbowed me in the eye. Okay, the last part sucks. My eye hurts like a bitch, but the rest of it is pretty glorious.

After Jen gets me the frozen bag of peas, I lean my head against the back of the couch and wait for the cold to numb my face. It hurts. It hurts a lot, and I don’t want to make Jen feel any worse than she already does, so I keep my mouth shut about how much pain I’m feeling. It’s a huge amount, though. My head throbs, and my eyeball feels like it’s going to explode, but I’m trying not to panic. If I can make it through the night, I’m sure things will be better in the morning.

Although it seems practically impossible, I must have dozed off because I wake to Jen kissing my neck and murmuring my name.

“Josh,” she says in between soft caresses. “Josh, honey… Wake up, sweetheart. Let’s go to bed. Your neck is going to hurt like crazy if you sleep here tonight.”

She’s right, and the last thing I need is for my neck to hurt as badly as my eye. I stir and lift my head and then feel something soggy on my crotch. The forgotten bag of peas has partially thawed, and now it’s crowning my deflated dick.

Talk about an emasculating day. My girlfriend hits harder than I can, and my head throbs so much, my lower head isn’t even interested in getting attention. Thank god for the shower sex earlier or I might as well have hung up my man card for the day.

With a groan, I rise from the couch with Jen’s help. Not only does my head throb, I’m a little dizzy too, so I lean on Jen to make it to bed. Without a word, I strip and slip under the covers. I turn my back to Jen so I can put my non-injured eye down on the pillow and fall into a restless sleep almost immediately. I should have thought about two things before I went to bed. First, I should have remembered to take some pain medicine, and I also should have thought about how guilty Jen felt. I’m sure my back didn’t help her conscience much.

Twisting, crazy dreams plague my sleep, and I keep startling awake throughout the night. Each time, the pain in my eye seems to have intensified, but I’m too out of it to try to find any aspirin on my own, and I don’t have the heart to wake Jen. At some point, she wraps herself around me in a careful embrace and snuffles softly against my bare back. Every once in a while, her lips press against my shoulder blade, and her hand caresses my hip. If I wasn’t injured, I’m absolutely positive I would have woken her up with a very stiff wakeup call, but as it is, my sex drive has disappeared.

When I startle awake again at 5:00 a.m., I finally give in and flip over onto my back, pulling her against my chest. I can’t sleep as well without her in my arms, and I will happily deal with a little pain from my eye if it means I can sleep soundly. The feel of her breath against the hollow of my neck and her soft hair under my chin soothes me to sleep for another few hours. That is until Jen wakes up and sees me.

My eye is much worse in the morning. Much, much, much worse, and I’ll be the first to admit that Jen doesn’t handle it well. Okay, maybe I don’t either.

“Oh my god!!!” she shrieks, and I’m woken from a deep sleep.

Bolting upright in bed, I mumble, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong, baby?” But Jen’s screech turns into wracking sobs before she can answer. It takes forever for me to figure out why she’s crying.

“Josh,” she bawls, “your eye looks horrible.”

I raise my hand to wipe my bleary eyes and yelp in pain. My left eye is incredibly sore; so sore that barely pressing it hurts so badly that I can hardly stand it. That’s also when I realize I can’t see very well. My vision, which is as close to 20/20 as a person’s can get, is blurry—much more blurry than it was last night.

“Shit,” I swear in fear and stumble from my bed into my bathroom to survey the damage in the mirror.

What greets me scares me to death.

My left eye is swollen almost completely shut, and the slit that’s there only scares me more. My eyeball is bright red. It’s not just bloodshot; it actually looks like it’s bleeding. My eye socket was pink last night, but now it’s a deep purple. It’s so puffy, it looks like the skin will pop if I touch it.

“Jen,” I manage to call out through my nerves. “Jen, honey. I think we need to go to the eye doctor.”

She’s practically hysterical in the other room, and it’s not doing anything to help calm me down. I stand in the bathroom door for a few seconds trying to figure out how to soothe myself before I realize I’m still naked. I stumble across the room to my dresser and pull out some athletic pants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie while Jen continues to weep into the blanket.

As fear grips me again, I turn to her and snap, “Jennifer Shrader Lawrence! Cut the shit. Get your ass out of bed, get some clothes on, and drive me to the eye doctor. I have to get this looked at. We have press coming up. I have photo shoots scheduled in a couple of weeks. Stop! Freaking! Out!”

Her eyes widen at my snippiness, but I feel justified in my frustration. It’s not her eye that’s hurting. It’s mine, and I’m scared.

I shuffle to the closet and find some boat shoes to wear and then wrack my brain to figure out where I put my aviator sunglasses; they are big enough to hide most of the bruising. I grab my Altamont cap, slam it onto my head, and pull the hood of my sweatshirt up over it. Hopefully that will be enough of a disguise that I can get into my doctor’s office and out without it becoming a story on some entertainment news network.

Jen is dressing wordlessly, and I grab my phone to call my publicist. I need to give her a heads up about the problem, but I quickly realize I don’t really know what the problem is yet. Instead, I dial my ophthalmologist’s office to tell them I’m coming in with an emergency and to ask for discretion.

I let Jen drive my Audi since the windows are tinted and provide for increased privacy. As she threads her way through traffic, I text my publicist and my mom to fill them in on what I know so far—that I have a bad black eye from an accidental elbow throw and that I’m on my way to get it checked out. My mom’s panicked reaction doesn’t do much to help calm me down either, so I drop my phone into my lap and groan in frustration.

“I’m so sorry,” Jen whispers, and I glance to my left to see tears sliding down her face in silent streams.

I reach over and grip her thigh before reassuring her, “I know, baby. I know. It was an accident. Stop feeling guilty. We’ll get it worked out.”

I say that, but it’s not what I’m really feeling. Inside, I’m trying to control my own panic. Because if I’m honest with myself, this eye isn’t going to be healed enough for the photo shoots I have scheduled. Most of all, though, I’m scared that my vision might be messed up for good.

We make it to the office and slip in the back, and I’m put through a barrage of exams.  Jen’s allowed in the exam room in order to protect our privacy, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for her mental state. She winces every time the doctor makes a noise, and the look of terror on her face when the doctor tells me I have a partially detached retina is enough to prove to me again how much she loves me. Her face crumples completely, but I crack a joke before she can dissolve into tears.

“I guess I should have kept my eye on the ball while we were scrimmaging, huh Jen?” It’s my self-deprecating sense of humor that cracks her up, and pretty soon all of us in the room are giggling like school girls.

After a few minutes, the doctor pulls himself together and provides me with some dos and don’ts for the next few weeks.

“A partially detached retina can sometimes heal itself, but it’s not guaranteed. If you want to avoid surgery altogether, and I’m guessing you do, we can wait a few weeks and see if the eye repairs itself.” I nod, but he cautions, “In the meantime, that means little to no physical activity. No basketball, no soccer, no lifting weights heavier than 25 pounds, and…” He glances at Jen and then back to me. “And no physically exerting sexual intercourse.”

He looks embarrassed when he says it, but he doesn’t make a big deal about it. Jen looks down at her feet, and I don’t respond, so he shrugs and finishes. “Basically, you need to take it easy, Josh, and I know that’s not really your style.”

“What about motorcycles?” I ask.

“I’d prefer you not until we have a follow-up appointment. Any jarring at all could damage the retina further, and that could cause partial and/or permanent blindness in your left eye.”

I gulp and nod softly. If it’s that serious, then I’ll figure out how to deal with the restrictions for the next few weeks. But that no sex thing? That might have to be negotiated.

I gaze steadily into the doctor’s eyes and say, “Define physically exerting.”

His eyes flicker, but he answers me confidently. “Rough sex is out. Anything that consists of you facedown is not a good idea. Basically, if your head’s in pain, don’t do it.”

Jen quips, “Isn’t that when guys are  _supposed_  to do it?”

We break into laughter again at her wisecrack before slipping out through the back door and to the safety of my car. The office will bill me, and I want nothing more than to grab some breakfast and head home.

Back at my house, we settle on the couch again to watch TV. Jen and I both enjoy being lazy, and my injury has pretty much necessitated that for the next couple of weeks. We settle on a marathon of  _The Walking Dead_  because it makes me feel better about how shitty I look.

Jen plies me with pain medication and ice packs. She fluffs pillows and places them behind my neck, holds my head in her lap for two episodes, and then wanders into the kitchen to make us a late lunch. She’s acting every bit the doting girlfriend, but I’m a restless patient, and she knows it.

By late afternoon, my legs twitch, and I can’t stop from drumming my fingers on the couch. My restless energy is surprising considering how rotten I feel, but it’s the problem of being told I can’t do anything else but be lazy that gets to me.

I groan in frustration as another episode ends, and Jen’s eyes sparkle with mischief.

“What?” I ask. “What’s going through that twisted mind of yours, Jennifer?”

“Oh, nothing,” she smirks, and I know I’m in trouble.

“Please don’t,” I whisper. I’m 100% sure she’s got some scheme planned that’s going to get me completely riled up and then leave me with blue balls because I’m forbidden to “physically exert” myself.

“Shh…” she breathes against my ear, which causes my heart to beat faster.

“Jen,” I moan as my cock twitches. This will be my first erection of the day, which says something about how freaked out I was when I woke up. Sadly, I can’t really act on it.

“What, baby?” she purrs and nips my earlobe between her teeth. She’s being as careful as possible to avoid my eye, but I still flinch at her proximity.

Little Josh is standing at attention by the time her tongue traces the curve of my ear, and I’m cursing the day I was born. How the hell am I going to survive three weeks without sex with this gorgeous creature?

Her left hand drops to my crotch, and she works her hand into my track pants. “Just relax,” she croons, and I allow my good eye to droop closed as she grasps me in her palm and strokes.

“Fuck,” I hiss.

“No fucking,” she teases as the tip of her tongue trails small circles on my neck. “You heard the doctor.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I groan in longing.

Jen’s lips cover mine, and she says, “Because it’s so. much. fun.” My cock twitches in her hand, and she grins against my neck.

I feel rather than see her move from the couch, and I reach out to grab for her, but I misjudge the distance and miss her entirely. In seconds, her expert hands find the waistband of my pants and free me from them. My eyes are still closed when her warm mouth closes over my throbbing cock.

“Oh, shit balls!” I whimper as she lowers her head and takes me in up to the hilt.

I don’t even bother to think. Instead, I give into every sensation I can. Jen’s plump lips pucker around me while the suction from her throat pulls me further into her wet chasm. She sucks and licks and fondles me as I sit there, fully clothed, with my dick out for her to blow.

My eyes stay closed, and I burrow my head deeper into the pillows she tucked behind my neck earlier. Bursts of blue and red and green flash across my eyelids. My muscles clench and relax repeatedly, especially my abs as I try to prolong this as much as possible.

“Oh, god, Jennifer,” I gasp as my hips rock against her face. “Oh, god…” I moan.

Her mouth makes me want to be a better person. That’s how good her blowjobs are. The suction is intense. I can’t help but gasp every time her tongue caresses the underside of my erection.

She’s amazing. I feel like I’m cloaked in satin as she bobs up and down. Warmth rushes through me. Flecks of gold flash in the blackness behind my eyes. I realize I’m begging for a release as I groan her name and thrust shallowly upwards for her to take me deeper.

But then… Oh my fucking shit. Oh dammit! Oh fuck balls.

I’m suddenly aware that my erection is exposed, and she’s nuzzling below. “Jenniferrrrrrr… Oh…”

She reaches up to place her index finger on my lips to silence me, but what she’s doing to me does not lend itself to keeping quiet. She suckles my balls and draws them in before tracing each of them with her tongue.

First one and then the other and then back to the first one and then to the other and… Fuck me sideways, it feels so good I can barely breathe. I always think it’s my dick that loves her mouth until she sucks on my balls, and then I know I’d grovel my way naked through Times Square if it meant she would keep going.

A prolonged and tortured moan escapes me as Jen encases one in her mouth again and blows hot air on it as she sucks. How in the world she can do that is beyond me, but I thank my lucky stars for her ability.

“Jen, I have to have you. Please, baby,” I pant, but she shakes her head and refuses to let go. I know I’ll thank her later when my eyes is healed, but right now all I want to do is go at it with her doggy-style on the floor before banging her into next week on the coffee table. We’re not even into rough sex, and now it’s all I want—just because that bastard doctor told me no.

“Please, please, please, please, please.” It’s all I can do. I’m reduced to pleading with my girlfriend to get me off, and I’m perfectly willing to do so at this point. At least I’m horny again.

Jen continues to nuzzle me, and I finally give in with a groan. She massages and licks my balls, and I grab my dick and jerk it. Moisture from her mouth provides just the right amount of lubrication, and I work myself up to the point of release.

We’ve been together long enough that Jen knows when I’m about to lose it, so she pries my hand off and replaces it with her lips when I’m almost there. My hand falls to where her mouth was, and I fondle myself while she drives me closer to the edge.

“Jen, baby, I’m about to blow. Shit!” I try to warn her because sometimes she doesn’t want to swallow, but today is different. She slurps me like melting ice cream, and I shout her name as my cock pumps and empties into her mouth.

With a supplicant grunt, I melt into the couch and let my eye fall shut again. “Holy hell,” I mumble because I can’t manage anything else coherent.

Jen rises from the floor and rejoins me on the couch. “How was that, Joshy?” she teases.

“I can’t… I just… No words.”

She releases a soft throaty laugh and asks, “You think you’ll be okay for three weeks without rough sex, baby?” She’s teasing. I know she is, but I have the sudden urge to return the favor. Sadly, I can’t foster the energy.

“I—yeah— I don’t know,” I stutter before I can explain. I peek my good eye open and look at her. “That was so good, Jen. So good. But what about you? Will you be okay for three weeks?”

She smiles devilishly and says, “I think I’ll make it. I mean, the doctor didn’t say anything was wrong with me being on top.” With a wink, she rises from the couch and heads down the hall. “I’m taking a shower. Come find me when little Joshy is ready to play again.”

God, I love this woman.


	16. Ball Bearing

There’s nothing I hate more than feeling helpless, and I’ve been doing nothing but that since Jen smacked me in the head with her elbow, and my eyeball turned into a painful mess. Jen continues to feel guilty about it, which is ridiculous, but I’m also still irritated by it. I guess sometimes knowing that no one’s to blame doesn’t ease the anger and frustration of a situation.

This is one of those times.

Jen left earlier today. Her schedule is always full. She needed to meet with some people about a couple of charity events, and she wanted to have lunch with her best friend. I love my girlfriend, but I was ready for some time to myself. Jen is amazing, but she can also be a little overwhelming sometimes, a lot overwhelming actually. In the week since she’d broken my eye and my masculine pride, she’d catered to me in every way she possibly could. Her selflessness and consideration as she coddled me was endearing—and also suffocating.

After she left, I spent an hour or so enjoying the silence, and then I almost lost my mind from boredom and restlessness. I don’t take sitting still very well.

Driver kept nudging me, so I finally pulled myself off my couch and wandered to the garage.  That’s how I found myself taking apart my Harley with the intention of doing a little maintenance. I’d noticed the last couple of times I rode it before that the front wheel was pulling just a little bit, and I figured now was the best time to take it apart.

“It’s not like I can ride it anyway,” I mutter to myself in frustration, and Driver whines in sympathy.

Thirty minutes later I have the front wheel off the bike, and I’m inspecting all of it. I can’t figure it out, and it’s driving me crazy. The rim isn’t bent, all of the spokes are straight and attached to the inside and outside of the wheel, and the tread on the tire itself is evenly worn. There’s only one possibility left, and it’s the one I really hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with. It’s got to be the ball bearing.

I swear under my breath and begin the painstaking process of removing the ball bearing. It’s a complicated procedure. Unfortunately, it’s the only way to get my wheel back to normal. I don’t want to lose my Harley, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna pay someone else to do something I can do myself, especially since I have the time. I’ve been sworn off doing anything that might injure my eye even more. But I need  _something_ to do or I’ll scream.

The balls in the ball bearing aren’t in the right spots. It’s clear they’ve slipped, and I spend the better part of the day replacing the faulty parts. It’s meticulous work, and I find my intense concentration helps ease some of the frustration about my wounded eye. I focus on putting the balls back into the cylinder one at a time. Over and over. Ball after ball after ball after ball.

Balls.

Thinking about balls makes me think about my own, and my thoughts naturally turn to Jen after that. Suddenly the house and garage are much too quiet without her silliness and our teasing banter. I miss her like crazy, and she’s only been gone a few hours. I’m dreading the day when we have to let go and leave to film on location.

It’s going to be hell without her.

I shrug my shoulders to relieve my fear and concentrate on finishing my bike. I’m just putting the wheel back on the motorcycle when I hear Jen’s sultry voice from the garage door.

“Hey there, stud.”

A lazy gin spreads across my face, but I don’t say anything. Instead, I continue to adjust the front wheel and give Jen a generous view of my backside. It doesn’t take long for her to cross to me and slap my ass.

Turning quickly, I capture her in my arms and place a smacking kiss on her cheek. “Hey, baby,” I grin and wipe a smudge of grease on the tip of her nose.

“Josh, stop! Don’t get me dirty!”

I can’t stop from laughing and leer, “You’ve never complained about being dirty with me before.” I give her a wink and lean forward to capture her lips. Pulling her bottom lip gently between my teeth, I nibble on her plump mouth and try to control myself before I rise to the occasion.

“Hmmm,” she hums and pulls back. “Whatcha been doing, baby? Did you miss me?”

“Of course I missed you,” I admit and give her a squeeze before releasing her to wipe my hands on the nearest rag. When my hands are a semblance of clean, I pull her back into my arms and cup her plump ass in my palms. Gently, I squeeze and press into her while my mouth opens over hers, and my tongue sweeps inside to taste her sweetness.

We stand there for several minutes as we find comfort in the moist warmth of each other. Her arms wrap around my neck, and her hands fist in the back of my hair. She moans breathlessly into my mouth, and I can’t stop my body from reacting to her. Little Josh strains against my jeans and presses into her heat. I’m almost embarrassed by my lack of control.

When she finally breaks free from our passionate kiss, she drops one of her hands to smack my ass and reminds me, “You didn’t tell me what you did while I was out.”

In mock seriousness, I reply, “I played with my balls.”

She laughs and asks, “Really? You were jacking off out here?”

Rolling my eyes, I clarify, “Ball bearings, Jen. I fixed my ball bearings while you were gone.”

“Mmm,” she hums before whispering suggestively, “What was wrong with your balls that you had to fix them while I was gone?”

“Oh, trust me. My balls work just fine,” I say steadily. I refuse to back down from her challenge.

She smirks and agrees, “I’m sure they do.”

“You wanna see?” I waggle my eyebrows at her suggestively, and she bursts into laughter.

“I may have to inspect your balls to see if they function properly. I’m not sure I can take your word for it.”

My breath hitches as she moves her palm to my crotch and squeezes gently. The moan that falls from me shocks me. How she can bring me to my knees in seconds is beyond me.

She kisses the underside of my jaw and pulls away. She moves to my bike and runs her fingers over the handlebars and seat before turning to look at me. With an innocent expression, she purrs, “This is an awfully masculine bike. Whoever owns this must be all man.”

_Oh holy hell. I’m in for it now._

I nod but don’t say anything. I’m afraid to open my mouth and tempt her more. When she gets like this, it’s usually better to let her carry out her plan.

“I bet it feels amazing to have that much power between your legs. Does it, Josh? Does it feel good to ride something so strong and forceful?” She blinks her eyes at me in feigned innocence, and my cock thickens more.

I can barely hear her when she whispers, “Can you teach me, baby? Teach me how to ride it.”

I swallow hard and nod. “Go ahead and straddle it,” I instruct her and force myself to try to breathe normally when her long, bare legs frame the leather seat. Her denim cut-offs just barely cover her, so the entire expanse of her toned legs are exposed to me. I move behind her and mount the bike. I slide as close as I can against her and stifle a groan as my crotch nestles in the curve of her ass.

I kiss the back of her neck and run my hands along the inside of her bare thighs. Her head falls back, and she sighs an uneven gasp of my name.

“That’s right, baby,” I murmur in her ear. “Make sure to grip the bike nice and tight between your thighs. You feel that hard metal between your legs?” She whimpers, and I nip at her earlobe and continue, “Ride it hard, Jennifer. Let it know who’s boss.” I splay my fingers against her skin and work my index finger under her shorts. I barely graze her, but she moans deeply. I can feel her wet warmth without making any effort. She’s already there.

I trail my lips down her neck slowly and intersperse licks and caresses along it while I move my hands up her torso to find the strap of her tank top. Sliding it from one shoulder, I reach inside to cup her breast and run my palm across her hardened nipple.

“Josh,” she sighs as I pinch the peak lightly and suck the hollow of her neck.

“You like that, Jennifer?” I breathe against her skin. She moans her approval and leans further into me.

“Put your hands on the handlebars, baby,” I urge, and she lifts her arms listlessly to grip the handles. I run my hands along her arms and massage her skin with my fingers. When I reach her hands, I intertwine my fingers with hers, and murmur, “Your hands are what makes it go, Jen.  You have to tap the brakes with your fingers and pump the throttle to gain speed.”

My breath is ragged as she moans in the back of her throat. The innuendo between us is intense.  I want nothing more than to bend her over the handlebars and fuck her from behind until her cum drips down the metal sides of my bike, but I’m still supposed to be taking it easy physically.

“This is so fucking hot, Josh,” she whines and presses her thighs tighter against the bike.

“Yeah? You think so, baby?”

“Yeah,” she keens as I nudge her from behind with my erection.

And suddenly a light bulb goes off inside my head. I may not be able to ride my bike, but I can recreate a romantic drive along the beach here in my garage.

“You’re so sexy, Jennifer. Clenching my bike between your legs and gripping the handlebars like that?” It’s fucking erotic is what it is.

I suck her neck lightly and then move from behind her. She protests, but I shush her and cross to the wall to plug in the blue Christmas lights I haven’t bothered to take down since Andre and I moved the couch into the garage. When they’re on, I shift to the door to turn off the garage light and smile at the mood lighting. For good measure, I flip the oscillating fan on low and point it at Jen. Goose bumps rise on her skin, and her hair lifts from the sides of her face.

I move back behind her and slide tightly against her body. She melts into me, and our mouths search for each other over her left shoulder. The awkward position doesn’t allow for full kisses, which makes us both a little frantic. My hands move restlessly from her hands to her perky tits to her toned thighs, and the pressure in my dick grows to epic proportions. I feel like I’m going to bust just by rubbing my crotch against the curve of her backside.

“I’m sorry I can’t do this with you for real, Jennifer, but you deserve every romantic gesture I have in my arsenal. For tonight, can you just pretend we’re on a romantic ride? You look so good in the starlight,” I murmur.

She whimpers, her voice full of longing when she whines, “I love you so much, Josh.”

My mouth finds hers again, and I run my tongue along her bottom lip. “I love you too, baby.”

She struggles to regulate her breathing. When she’s partially in control, she leans against my chest and pleads, “Make love to me, Joshy. Please make love to me.”

The emotion in her voice is palpable, and I feel a prick in my eyes. I rise from behind her and pull her off the bike and to me. My mouth covers hers in a passionate kiss, and when I finally pull back, I answer, “Yes. Always yes.”

I lead her to the sofa on the wall underneath the twinkling blue lights and stop to undress her.  My fingertips graze her ribs and the soft curve of her breasts as I raise her tank top over her head and drop it to the floor. I lavish soft caresses on each mound and suck her nipples into my mouth, first one and then the other.

When she’s trembling with need, I unbutton her shorts and slide them over her slim hips.  They fall to her feet, and I slip my hand between her legs and tease her slit, which is dripping with her desire.

“Please…”

I drop my pants and fall back on the couch. She straddles me and runs her hands underneath my t-shirt and rolls it up my chest until I’m free from its confines. She shifts to adjust herself, locks her eyes with me, and slides down my length. We moan simultaneously as she cocoons me in her heat, and our souls connect the same way they did the night we confessed our love to each other.

“I love you,” I pant, “So much.”

She nods and rocks against me, and we both release another groan of longing. I’m throbbing inside her. I have no idea how I haven’t blown yet, but I just want to be connected to her. Her breasts are smashed against my bare chest, and the silky skin of her back and her curves feel like soft flames against my forearms. I’m burning from the inside out, and I don’t want to put out the fire. I need her. I need to be inside her, and I don’t want to come if it means I can’t stay there.  The undulation of her hips against me makes my insides melt. The tension between us expands as our eyes remain locked while she rides me slowly.

I love her on top. I love it when she takes control even when she’s so incredibly vulnerable and open to me like she is now. Sexy moans rumble in her throat as she sinks onto me and rises again. She pants and gasps and wails my name as my dick rubs her walls. She clenches me inside her and releases as she rides me. Her eyes brighten until the blue sears my consciousness. I couldn’t drop her gaze even if I tried.

My lips caress hers as our foreheads meet and our eyes remain open and connected. My grip on her back tightens, and her hands fist in the hair at the nape of my neck.

“Shit, Josh,” she finally huffs and quickens her pace. “Oh, shit. Josh…”

Heat floods me again, and my hips rock up to meet hers. My eyes close unconsciously, and I lose myself in the carnality of our love-making. I’m in love with her—so deeply that I feel as if we’re one person—and the heat between us combusts then.

“Josh,” she wails with a shrill shriek as her walls clench around me. Waves course through her, and she bucks into me repeatedly as she releases. I press hot kisses against her neck and murmur her name against her flesh while fluid washes over me. My tongue laves against her neck, and I drop down to trace my name with the tip of my tongue against her chest—marking her as mine forever.

Jen’s incoherent as she rides me. Her body convulses, and she orgasms again. Her mouth hangs slack, and her face reflects pure bliss. Those full lips of hers that feel so good around my hard dick are moist and swollen as she whispers my name, and I feel my heart shatter with longing and pure love.

Her face contorts in pleasured pain, and I know she’s about to release again. My balls tighten, and I feel my cock expand inside her. I want to explode with her this time.

Giving in, I throw my head back and yell her name as I jerk inside her and burst. My shoulders hunch, and my abdominal muscles contract so hard it hurts as I shoot my load.

“Oh, fuuuuuuuck…” I groan deep grunts of approval as she milks my orgasm from me until I’m completely empty. It seems to take forever, and every second is heaven. My sweaty chest slides against hers, and her thighs are slick against mine from her arousal. With one last thrust against me, she collapses, and we pant as we come down from our high.

“Oh my god,” she groans after she catches her breath. “You broke me, Josh.”

I force myself to gain control of my limp limbs and tilt her face to mine. “You’re not broken, Jen, and neither am I.” She begins a retort, but I stop her. “We’re not broken—the balls bearings in my bike notwithstanding. Together we’re completely as we should be.”

Her lips curve into a soft smile, and she leans toward me to capture my mouth with hers. “I’ve never felt more at home than I am with you. I love you, my little redneck. Blue Christmas lights and all. You can even make grease covered hands and that hunk of metal look insanely masculine and sexy as shit.”

I hesitate and then admit, “Thank god because you busted my balls along with my eye last week.”

She freezes and searches my face. “What do you mean, Josh?”

“I just…” I can’t continue when I see her stricken face. “Nevermind, hon. Just forget it.”

“I don’t want to forget it,” she whispers fearfully. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I answer a little too quickly. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Josh—”

I don’t want to admit my insecurities so I stop her with a hard kiss. Within a few minutes, she’s forgotten everything but the feel of my hands and mouth on her.


	17. Pinball Wizard

Jen’s eyes fluttered open, and she blinked in the dimly lit room in an attempt to focus and clear her blurry vision. It took a few minutes, but eventually the images sharpened, and she smiled as she recognized the interior of Josh’s bedroom. It shouldn’t have surprised her. She’d spent enough nights at his house in the past few weeks that she’d almost forgotten what her own apartment looked like. But then again, she wanted to move out of her cramped quarters anyway.  Staying at his place with its protective gate and natural barrier of trees made the most sense to them at this point instead of bunking at hers.

She stretched and burrowed further into the mattress before she realized Josh wasn’t next to her.  His side of the bed was empty, and she frowned as she tried to figure out why he’d risen before her. They were both notoriously lazy, so him voluntarily getting up seemed out of place for their usual routine. It took only a few more minutes before she distinguished the sound of the running shower.

 _Ah, he must be showering the mess we made last night off him_ , she mused with a smile when she heard a sound that could only be described as caterwauling coming from his bathroom.

“What the hell?” she muttered and struggled to extricate herself from the tangle of sheets and blankets they’d created the night before in the throes of passion. Her muscles ached slightly, especially between her legs, but she wouldn’t trade what they’d shared last night for anything.  Josh’s creativity in bed made her life better, and if his uncontrolled shouts were any indication, he’d enjoyed himself immensely the night before, too.

After a few moments of fighting the twisted bed sheets, Jen rolled out of the spacious bed and wrapped herself in a ratty robe before padding her way to the bathroom. Josh teased her about that robe endlessly, but she loved it. It felt like home.

Jen stopped at the doorway and leaned against it with her right shoulder. Her eyes landed on a very naked, very wet, very oblivious Josh splashing under the spray in his glass shower, his eyes squeezed shut and his singing voice on prominent display. He finished the song he was singing (something completely unrecognizable to Jen’s ears) and launched into a classic rock song by The Who as he buried his long fingers in his short, soapy hair.

In a high-pitched shriek, Josh sang, “Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball. From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all. But I ain’t seen nothing like him in any amusement hall… That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball! Duh duh, duh duh duh duh!”

Jen giggled softly behind her hand at his enthusiastic rendition of the guitar riff after the first verse. Josh rinsed the soap from his hair, shook like a dog, and then grabbed the handheld showerhead and sang the next verse into it like it was a microphone.

“He stands like a statue, becomes part of the machine, feeling all the bumpers, always playing clean. He plays by intuition. The digit counters fall. That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball! Duh duh, duh duh duh duh!”

She could barely control her laughter as he launched into the chorus. “He’s a pinball wizard. There has to be a twist. A pinball wizard, he’s got such a supple wrist…”

Jen dropped her robe and grabbed the handle to the shower door. She wanted nothing more than to join him in his shower stall concert. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him so lost in the sheer joy of shutting out the world and enjoying himself.

He turned toward her and she froze, but he hadn’t opened his eyes yet when he tucked his elbow into his side and wailed, “How do you think he does that?”

Without missing a beat, Jen answered in a dry tone, “I don’t know.”

Josh’s eyes sprang open in surprise, and he almost dropped the showerhead. “Fuck! You scared the shit out of me, Jen,” he sputtered as he blushed a deep red.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she teased. “I just didn’t want to miss any of this glorious musical performance.” When he grimaced in embarrassment, she added, “It’s impressive, Joshy. You’re quite a singer.”

“Shut up,” he muttered, clearly uncomfortable that she’d caught him.

She reached for him and ran her hands over his slick chest before wrapping her arms around his body and pulling him against hers. She lifted her lips to his and kissed him softly before whispering, “Make me.”

He groaned and cupped her left ass cheek before slapping it hard enough that she jumped in surprise. “Behave,” he ordered lightly.

“You should know by now that I don’t know how to do that.” Her voice escaped in a breathy murmur as his hands splayed across her hips and moved to her thighs. His mouth found her neck, and his fingers dipped into her crease, causing her to sigh in happiness.

As his fingers worked her, she exhaled her longing for him. She fought hard to clear her foggy brain and managed to remember the next line of the song, which seemed incredibly appropriate for her current situation.

In a broken moan, she asked, “What makes him so good…?”

Josh chuckled deep in his chest but didn’t stop his movements. He found her ear and pulled her lobe into his mouth, sucked on it, and then bit it gently. When she whimpered, he teased, “He ain’t got no distractions.”

She nodded and leaned into him as her hips jerked against his hand. “Yeah…”

“Can’t hear those buzzers and bells,” he breathed into her neck.

Jen arched into him and felt his tongue lick a trail to her collarbone. “Josh,” she moaned.

He moved slowly down her body, licking and sucking her torso before reaching her slit. He spread her open with his fingers and blew on her folds as water rained down on them. When she bucked into his mouth, he buried his chin in the juncture of her thighs and taunted her, “Don’t see lights a flashin’, plays by sense of smell.” He buried his nose between her legs and inhaled, and her knees buckled with want. He caught her and nuzzled into her before standing and pulling her tightly against him.

“Stop teasing, you fucker,” she groaned as her hardened nipples rubbed against his muscled chest.

He threaded his fingers through her wet, blonde hair and tugged her head back so he could nip the cords of her neck with no restrictions. When she was trembling, he continued the verse.    
“Always has a replay, and never tilts at all…”

“If my world doesn’t tilt in five seconds, I will kill you,” she threatened.

He nudged her with his erection and grinned. “That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball,” he said with a laugh when she glared at him.

“I’m going to get incredibly mean if you don’t get balls deep in me right fucking now, Josh.”

His eyes darkened, and he walked her backward until her shoulders smacked against the shower wall. She leaned her forehead against his and welcomed him inside her with a howl of relief. He grunted as he plunged into her and felt her encase him.

“Shit, Jen,” he panted, “this is one way to take care of morning wood.”

“Oh!” she yelped as he pounded against her. Her lean frame was caught between the stone of his shower and his rock solid body. It felt amazing.

Her voice rose as he filled her repeatedly. He released a strained groan as he buried himself deep inside her and then withdrew, only to plunge back in almost immediately. His paced quickened imperceptibly, but soon he was thrashing against her, slamming his hips into hers as quickly as he could.

“Jen,” he warned, “Oh, fuck! Jen!”

She clung to him as he climaxed with a partially muffled scream of surrender as he buried his face in her wet hair. He shook against her as he spilled into her warmth. His shoulders quivered as his stomach and hips vibrated from his orgasm.

She rode him until he softened and then reached down to stimulate herself. When she gasped, Josh opened his eyes and covered her fingers with his when he realized what she was doing.  Together they rubbed until she emitted muted, sexy cries and pulsed against him.

“Josh,” she whimpered as fluid flowed from her. He slipped his leg in between hers and rubbed against her so that her orgasm slid across his thick thigh.

They stood together for several minutes as they regained their balance. When they were able to breathe normally again, Josh pulled her by the hand under the spray and rinsed them both with soap before turning off the water. They toweled off quickly and then fell into the unmade California king bed in a tangled heap of bare limbs and crumpled linens.

Her damp hair pooled under her cheek against his chest, and his arms, the skin still dewy from the shower, cuddled her close to him. His fingers trailed up and down her spine, and she sighed in contentment.

After several minutes, she allowed her hand to graze below his waist and fondled his balls. With a smirk, she teased, “We never do anything together anymore. It’s all just sex between us now.”

He snorted into her hair and grabbed her hand. “Then stop trying to jack me off, Jen,” he said with mock sternness.

“But I like you,” she drawled and gave his balls a soft squeeze. He flipped over on top of her and tickled her sides until she shrieked with laughter and squirmed under him. “Stop, Josh!! Oh my god! Stop! You know how ticklish I am,” she gasped and choked as she thrashed her legs in an attempt to buck him off her.

“You shouldn’t be such a tease then, baby girl,” he scolded before he kissed the tip of her nose and then laid a loud, smacking smooch on her left cheek.

Jen blinked rapidly and simpered, “But Joshy, you’re just so dreamy. I can’t keep my hands off your sexy body.”

They dissolved into a fit of giggles together as their mouths found each other’s in loving caresses. They kissed deeply and sweetly with their bare skin pressed together until Josh groaned and rolled off her.

“God, you’re sexy, but I can’t get it up again that fast. You may have broken me,” he whined.

“You must be getting old. Your birthday’s coming up,” she teased before turning more serious.  “Maybe we could go out today…” Her voice trailed off in a wistful tone.  They’d agreed to wait before they went public about their relationship, but their secrecy had Jen worried. Things were fine for the first few months, but as they spent more and more time alone, they had seemed to forget how to enjoy time together unless he was inside her. Or her mouth was sucking him. Or his face was buried between her legs. In some ways, she was being serious when she’d joked that everything was just sex between them.

Even more worrisome, Josh still hadn’t admitted what was bothering him, and she knew something was. As much as she loved him and as much as she knew he loved her, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that  _something_  wasn’t quite right.

Swallowing her unease when he didn’t answer, she goaded, “Well, since you already said you don’t want me to jack you off, I guess you’ll just have to live with a limp Little Joshy.” When he still didn’t respond, she asked more timidly than she had in weeks, “Hey, are we okay?”

Josh freed himself from underneath her and moved to an erect position. He sat on the side of the bed, his bare feet on the floor, with his back to her. His silence terrified her, and she bolted upright before pressing her cheek against his back and softly stroking his shoulder blade.

“Talk to me,” she begged.

At her distressed tone, he turned his head over his shoulder and apologized. “I’m sorry, Jen.  I’m not trying to be distant. I was just thinking. Yes, we’re fine.”

She swallowed hard and whispered, “I don’t believe you.” Then she blinked to clear her misty eyes.

He turned to her and gathered her in his arms. “We’re fine, sweetie. I was just trying to remember if I’d ever played pinball.”

“Pinball?” she sputtered, more aggravated than she wanted to admit. “You were thinking about  _pinball_ , and I’m trying to figure out if you’re going to dump my ass?”

“Dump you? Are you fucking  _kidding_  me?” The incredulity in his voice almost made her laugh.  The utter shock on his face eased her concern more than anything else had for the past few weeks.

She stammered for several seconds before she shrugged and gave up. “I was just asking.” Her lips curved into a sheepish smile, and she dipped her head to avoid his skeptical look.

“That’s it,” he announced. “Get your ass out of this bed. We’re going out today. You’re right.  All we’ve done for the past few weeks is fall into bed together. Let’s go do something.”

“Are you sure?”

He fixed his hazel stare on her face and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Well, we said we were going to wait before we went public,” she said defensively.

“Screw it!” he proclaimed with a wide smile. “If we get caught, we get caught. Besides, what’s wrong with two friends having lunch together? Maybe wandering into a dimly lit arcade that just happens to have a wall of pinball machines…?”

“Yessssss!!” He grinned at her enthusiasm and pulled her to her feet. “I’m so excited, Joshy!  Food! Outside this house.  _Together_. Wait, are we really going to an arcade, too?”

“Do you want to?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she squealed and hugged him before rushing to dress and brush her teeth and hair. Josh tossed her a gray beanie and tugged a cap over his forehead before covering his eyes with sunglasses.

“You ready?” he asked and gave her his crooked smile that never failed to melt her heart.

She nodded enthusiastically and followed him to the garage. He slid into the Audi and started it.  As the garage door rose, he flipped the radio to the classic rock station, and they stared at each other in shock when they heard the familiar strains through the speakers, “…that deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.”

“Finish the song, baby,” she encouraged and smiled in contentment when he joined in where he’d left off in the shower.

He sang softly, “I thought I was the Bally table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him.”

“Sing it, stud,” she laughed as his voice grew louder, and he backed the car out of the garage and wound down the driveway to the gate.

As he pulled onto the street, he belted out, “Even on my favorite table, he can beat my best. His disciples lead him in, and he just does the rest. He’s got crazy flipper fingers, never seen him fall… That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!”

He yowled the accompaniment at the top of his lungs, and she joined him until the song switched to a Beatles ballad her parents used to sing during her childhood. Josh always tried to tell people he couldn’t sing, but his voice wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought. In a lot of ways, his singing soothed her nerves because she knew it came from a place of comfort he had being with her.

They smiled at each other as he wound his way out of the Hollywood Hills and toward his favorite burger place. Jen devoured her food, especially the fries which were perfectly crispy, and sipped her drink as Josh regaled her with stories about his latest visit to see his dad and brother. She grinned at the twinkle in his eye and laughed at his antics. When he was done, she voiced her sadness that she hadn’t seen her nephew in more than two months.

As they left the restaurant, they chatted about their upcoming press tour and snickered as they reminisced about filming with Liam, Woody, Sam, and Jena.

“I can’t wait to see them all again,” she admitted, and he agreed.

He clicked the remote locks on his car, and they headed to the arcade they’d googled on his phone. They spent the better part of an hour and a few twenties in quarters on a pinball machine appropriately called “The Whiz,” which was located in a dimly lit back corner. Both of them cursed as the ball repeatedly slid through the bumpers at the bottom of the machine.

“We kinda suck at this, Josh,” Jen sputtered in frustration before laughing at her competiveness.  “Not that there’s any reason for us to be good. It’s not like we’ve played pinball in… well, forever.”

He nodded and said, “One more game, and then we should head out. We’ve been lucky so far, but let’s not push it.” He glanced around the mostly empty arcade and cast a furtive glance at a trio of teenagers who’d entered just a few minutes before.

“You go,” she suggested and moved to the side. “I want to see your ‘crazy flipper fingers.’”

“Nice innuendo,” he grinned as he spun a pinball into the machine and attempted to keep it in play. “I’ll show them to you later tonight, too.”

It took less than five minutes before he’d lost, and they slipped quietly from the building and to his car. As they headed back to his house, she slid her fingers through his and released a long breath.

“Today was perfect.” A contented smile stretched across her face as she gazed at him.

He nodded and his lips twitched in happiness. “For sure.”

“I want to clarify, though,” she spoke cautiously.

“What’s that?” He flipped his turn signal and took a hard left into his neighborhood.

“When I said that all we ever do is have sex…” He raised his eyebrows and waited. “We can keep doing that.”

He said sardonically, “I think that can be arranged.”

They made love that night with more passion than they had for days. Both woke the next morning with smiles on their faces. Not even the paparazzi photos of them together and the gossip site stories questioning their status as friends and coworkers versus lovers could wipe the happiness from their faces.


	18. Angry Balls

                                                                         

 

“What do you mean you’re going to be late?” Josh snarled into his iPhone. “You’re already late! The party started an hour ago, and you’re not here.”

 

“I know! I know, Josh. I’m so sorry. My meeting ran way over today, and I went home to change, and there was traffic, and I can’t get there. I’m trying!” Jen defended herself as best she could, but she knew missing the start of Josh’s birthday party was akin to dissing Kentucky basketball or saying reality TV wasn’t quality entertainment. She breathed deeply and held it before pleading, “Please don’t be mad, baby. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” he snapped. “I’m sure you’ll get here when you can. When it’s convenient for you.”

 

Her sharp intake of breath hurt almost as much as his cutting words, and she barely managed to give a half-hearted and obviously wounded goodbye before she ended the call and let the phone fall into her lap. She cursed silently as the traffic crawled along the interstate and sent up a quick prayer that she’d make it to the Hollywood club where Josh and his friends were celebrating his birthday before he lost his temper with her completely.

 

At the party, Josh seethed as he took another gulp of alcohol. Jen’s tardiness wasn’t the reason he was mad, but it wasn’t helping his foul mood. He wasn’t used to being upset on his birthday, so the fact that he’d received the bad news only that day that his brother Connor couldn’t make it to LA to help him celebrate infuriated him in a way he wasn’t sure how to handle. He knew Connor wanted to be there, but an important engineering conference happened to be the same weekend. No matter how much the two brothers meant to each other, time and responsibilities often kept them apart, and that made Josh more upset than he wanted to admit.

 

It was his birthday; he was grouchy, and he’d just taken it out on Jen for no good reason other than that she happened to call him when his buzz reached the level that lowered his verbal filter. With a frustrated sigh, he shot her a text of apology and nursed his fourth drink.

 

He wasn’t sure why Angry Balls were his beverage of choice tonight, but the Angry Orchard hard cider and with a shot of Fireball whiskey was doing its job. The drink was sweeter than he usually enjoyed, but at least the alcohol content made him feel better.

 

Besides, he _was_ angry, and that wasn’t something he was used to. His usual chipper attitude had failed him today, on his birthday of all days.

 

Several friends approached him at the bar, where he’d chosen to sit in isolation until his mindset improved. Each of them greeted him and wished him a happy birthday, and he did his best to get his foul mood under control. Nothing seemed to be working. It wasn’t until Jarod sat down next to him to give him a hard time that the fog started to lift.

 

“Hey, man! Happy birthday!”

 

Josh nodded without looking at his friend and sipped his Angry Ball. “Thanks, dude. Appreciate it.”

 

Jarod scoffed at Josh’s tone and argued, “You don’t sound like you appreciate it. What’s wrong with you? It’s your birthday! Let’s party!” 

 

When his response was nothing more than a half-hearted shrug and smile, Jarod shook his head and ordered another drink from the bartender. He threw back his shot and then faced his friend. “Josh, I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t the best time to look like your world has ended. Take a look around!” He waved his arm across the room and said, “All these people are here for you. It’s every friend you care about. Who’s missing?”

 

A spasm shot across Josh’s face, and Jarod’s eyes widened in surprise. “Man, come on. I know your brother’s not here, but you know that wasn’t his choice.”

 

Josh drained the last of his drink and turned slightly to face his friend. “It’s not Connor,” he insisted quietly—as quietly as he could and still be heard over the din of the bar.

 

Puzzled, Jarod wracked his brain in an attempt to figure out who was missing. The usual crowd was all there, but Josh hadn’t spent nearly as much time with the usual crowd lately. Since wrapping _The Hunger Games_ franchise, Josh had spent a lot more time alone and had traveled back to Kentucky more often than normal. Jarod hadn’t asked because he didn’t think it was a big deal, but now he wondered if maybe Josh had been spending time with someone he wasn’t comfortable sharing with the rest of his acquaintances. Was Josh hiding a relationship since his last one had ended?

 

Leaning closer, he muttered into Josh’s right ear, “You know you can tell me. Let it out if you need to talk.” He motioned to the bartender and indicated they needed another round, and it wasn’t long before another Angry Ball appeared before Josh and a shot of Jack before Jarod.

 

Josh swirled the liquid in his glass and sighed heavily. He kept his eyes downcast but finally said the words he’d been waiting to say to someone outside his and Jen’s families for months.

 

“Jen and I are kinda seeing each other.”

 

Jarod choked on his drink and coughed for several seconds before he was able to respond. “What?!” he finally sputtered in disbelief.  “Jen? As in Jennifer Lawrence? Your co-star Jen? The ‘we’re really good friends’ Jen?”

 

Josh nodded slowly as his cheeks tinted pink and his shoulders slumped. “Yeah…” His voice trailed into silence when he saw the incredulous look in Jarod’s eyes.

 

“Holy fuck, man! Holy fuck!”

 

“Yeah,” Josh snipped and turned to slide off his barstool but stopped when he felt Jarod’s hand on his shoulder.

 

“Wait! You don’t have to leave. I’m sorry. I’m just a little—okay, a lot—shocked. I mean, no one knew anything.”

 

Josh hesitated but finally slid back onto his seat and turned to face his friend fully. “That was kind of the point. We—well, she—didn’t want anyone to know about it.”

 

“Oh,” Jarod responded with a look of understanding that quickly turned to sympathy. “Oh, I see.”

 

It must have been the concern in Jarod’s voice that finally did it because Josh found himself spilling his guts over his Angry Ball.

 

“It started back in March. Started when we were still filming _Mockingjay_. We both decided to suspend our relationships to give us a chance, and it went.” Josh’s eyes took on a faraway quality and his voice softened. “Fuck, it went.”

 

“Intense?”

 

“Shiiiiiiiiit…” Josh drawled and gulped his drink to steady himself. “It was like fire.” He chuckled and raised his drink in salute to the Pitbull song booming from the speakers. “It was Fireball.”

 

His smile almost split his face before he sobered and continued, “We went at in a car the first time and then every place else you can think of since then. And it was perfect. So incredibly fucking perfect. And then this summer I finally admitted that I love her. And she told me she loves me, too.”

 

Jarod sat in shocked silence, something that didn’t happen too often. He finally managed to sputter, “You love each other?”

 

Josh nodded with conviction. “Yes. With everything we have.”

 

“When’s this going to come out, Josh? Because you _know_ this can’t stay a secret forever. This is huge!”

 

“I know. I know,” Josh moaned. “We already got papped a couple of weeks ago when we had lunch together, but the fallout was pretty minimal. No PDA. No anything except two friends having lunch together and playing some pinball. Don’t even say it. Yes, we played pinball.”

 

Jarod raised both hands in mock surrender and defended himself, “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

 

“We’re going to wait until _Mockingjay_ press to say anything.”

 

“You’re going to admit you’re dating the hottest actress in the world right now who happens to be your co-star during the press tour?” When Josh nodded in the affirmative, Jarod gaped in admiration. “Damn, son. That takes balls.”

 

“Balls, yeah,” Josh said with a laugh. “Speaking of that, I’ll take another Angry Ball. I’m dry.”

 

Jarod signaled for another drink and then asked, “So, that’s why you’re so pissy tonight? Because your girl isn’t here? She wanted to keep it on the down-low tonight?”

 

“Well, when you put it like that, I sound like a dick,” Josh observed in self-deprecating amusement. “Nah, she’s coming. She’s on her way. She’s just late as fuck.”

 

“ _That’s_ why you’re mad? Because your hot, famous girlfriend is late?” Jarod laughed heartily and shook his head. “Josh, man, you know I love you, but get over yourself on this one. You know how it is in LA—traffic, meetings, phone calls from your agent. LAX barely gets flights in the air on time.”

 

Josh hung his head in dejection before he mumbled, “It’s not that.”

 

“Then what?” Jarod demanded. “I gotta admit, man. I’m having trouble finding sympathy for you.”

 

Josh sucked in a breath and held it for a few seconds before he let it go in a whoosh. He felt a tiny bit calmer, and that allowed him to give voice to what had been bothering him for the past few weeks.

 

“I’m not really mad,” he admitted.

 

“Your pissy attitude disagrees.”

 

Josh gave a wry smile. Despite Jarod’s dude bro attitude that often came across as arrogance, Josh knew he could always depend on his friend to be blatantly and completely honest with him.

 

“Jen and I are going to go public. The press tour starts in about a month, so it’s all going to come out really, really soon. And that’s what I’m worried about.”

 

Jarod shook his head and attempted to make sense of the conversation. “You’re worried about coming clean? Do you think your relationship can’t handle the attention? I’m confused.”

 

Josh ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Shit, man. I don’t know exactly how to explain it. It’s not Jen, and it’s not the relationship. I love her. More than anything, and she loves me, too. We’re solid. But…”

 

“Josh, I love you man, but I need more to drink to make sense of this conversation.”

 

“I’m just not looking forward to what everybody else says.” The shrug of his shoulders was his attempt to play it off and hide how nervous he really was about the press and public weighing in on his relationship with someone he loved so much it sometimes hurt.

 

“Well, you have my vote,” Jarod offered.

 

Josh’s mouth twitched upward. “Thanks, but I meant more like the press.”

 

“You’ve handled the press before. Why is this time any different? Jennifer is the darling of the world right now. You’re well-liked by everybody. I don’t see any problem.”

 

Josh took another drink and thought for a second before he argued, “Jennifer being a media darling is kind of the problem, don’t you think? I’m short, Jarod. I haven’t won an Oscar. Haven’t even gotten close to critical acclaim except for _The Kids Are All Right_. Sure, everybody likes me, but you know damn well the press and the tabloids will have a field day with this one. Nobody will think I’m good enough for her. Nobody.”

 

Silence stretched between them for several minutes before Josh added in a broken voice, “And that will kill me. For people to think that I’m not worthy of someone I love so deeply that I want to give her everything.”

 

Jarod surveyed Josh through narrowed eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his friend’s confidence shaken. Nothing ever really seemed to bother Josh, which was one of the reasons they were able to remain friends. Josh had been a calming influence in his life over the past few years when his temper flared and Josh had been there to step into the fray and douse the flames.

 

“Are you afraid she’ll run?” he asked with complete sincerity.

 

“No!” The word burst from Josh with no hesitation, so Jarod knew his friend meant it.

 

“Then what’s really the problem? Because there doesn’t seem to be one. If she’s staying, and you love her, then…?”

 

“I don’t know, man,” Josh admitted. “Maybe it’s dumb. Maybe I’m worrying for no reason, but I still hate the thought of anyone thinking she’s settling. That she’s losing out on someone better for her than I am. That somehow I’m not her soul mate. That I’m not the one who can love her the absolute best.”

 

“Do _you_ think any of those things? That you’re somehow not good enough? That maybe the people who think those things are right?”

 

Josh downed his drink and felt the liquor burn his throat all the way to his stomach. His birthday buzz was the only reason this conversation hadn’t reduced him to the worst version of himself. He couldn’t figure out where this insecurity was coming from because he _knew_ he loved her. He knew it, and he knew she knew it. So, what was the problem?

 

Quietly, Josh muttered the one thing he didn’t want to face, “What if they’re right, Jarod? What if I’m not good enough for her? I mean, she’s Jennifer Lawrence, and that’s pretty fucking amazing.” He heard the slight slur in his words, and he realized he’d passed buzzed and was heading into a pleasantly numb state of drunkenness.

 

Jarod looked him directly in the eye and said with a hint of anger, “Josh, that’s the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. Take her down off the pedestal and be realistic. She’s a great girl, and you are a great guy, and you deserve each other. Don’t take the choice away from her to be with you because you think you’re protecting her.”

 

Josh blinked and then ducked his head to hide the first genuinely happy smile he’d had since he arrived at his party. He slapped his palm on the bar top and looked at his friend. “Jarod, that may have been the smartest fucking thing you’ve ever said.” He tipped his glass forward and clinked it with Jarod’s whiskey. “Thanks, man. You made some sense, for sure. Or else I’m really drunk, but you made sense, so I’m going with it.”

 

“Good. If I’m making sense, you’re drunk or I’m brilliant. One of the two. Now get your head out of your ass, get your ass off the barstool, and go say hi to your girlfriend. She’s here. Go sneak off for a minute and get your rocks off if that’s what you need to do to calm down. But then we have some partying to do, and I’m planning to watch you make a total ass of yourself doing drunk karaoke later.”

 

“I’m a terrible singer,” Josh admitted.

 

“Yes, you are, and you’re even worse when you’re drunk. It’s going to be hilarious. Now, go! My therapy session is done. I’ll send you a bill.”

 

Josh clapped Jarod on the back in gratitude and turned to face the doorway where Jennifer had just appeared. She looked stunning with her blonde hair pulled back slightly from her face and a black and white jacket hanging from her shoulders; it looked so soft he wanted to drown in it. When he saw her, every fear he had about them eased away. He loved everything about her, from her insanely absent verbal filter to her bravery in the face of public criticism. She wouldn’t run. He knew that. No matter what the press said, she wouldn’t leave him because of it.

 

Jen’s eyes locked on Josh’s from across the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the welcoming smile that graced his face. He wasn’t still mad at her, and that made her so happy she almost cried.

 

She stepped further into the room and worked her way across it toward him. She made pleasant small talk with his friends and waved hello to his mom as she wound and ducked through the crowd. It didn’t take long before Josh stood in front of her and held his arms open for her. She walked into them without hesitation and remembered at the last second to turn her head so his lips landed on her cheek. It wasn’t time for everyone to know yet.

 

His arms around her felt solid, and she relaxed into him. His mouth shifted to her ear, and he spoke quietly but firmly, “You look gorgeous. I’m so glad you’re here. And I’m sorry about earlier. I was a dick.”

 

She gave him a soft squeeze and pulled back from him. Careful to keep up appearances per their agreement, she smiled at him and said loudly enough for other people to hear, “Happy birthday, buddy! Sorry I’m late, but I’ll buy you a drink to make up for it.”

 

He laughed at her public apology and shook his head, “That won’t be necessary, Jennifer. I’m already sloshed, and Jarod’s got my next two. But I hear there’s karaoke later, and I need a singing partner.”

 

Her eyes widened and she almost choked on her laughter. “You want us to sing? Together? In front of people? Oh, Joshy, you are drunk.”

 

“Come on, Jen,” he pouted. “It’s my birthday!”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Absolutely! Give me another hug, pinch my ass inappropriately so people still think we’re just goofballs together, and go get a drink. When you’re relaxed, we’re singing. I have a song in mind. Maybe two. It will be hideous.”

 

Jen wasn’t sure what had changed between their overly charged conversation earlier and now, but she wasn’t about to try to pick a fight with him. She engulfed him in a bear hug, swatted his plump left cheek, smirked at his mock outrage, and headed to the bar for a beverage.

 

Jarod met her with a smile, and she returned it coolly. He wasn’t her favorite of Josh’s friends. To her surprise, he offered to buy her a drink which she accepted cautiously.

 

“You’re welcome,” he said, “and not just for the drink.”

 

Confused, she asked, “What?”

 

Jarod winked at her and handed her a beer bottle. “I talked to Josh. Talked him down, actually. You’ve got a great guy there, Jen. Be good to him.”

 

Jen gaped at his retreating back in disbelief. He _knew_? Of all the people outside of his family Josh could have told, he told _Jarod_!

 

Weak with anger, she sank onto the stool and downed half her beer. And then it really hit her. Jarod had talked him down. What was it that Josh had been so upset about? While everything seemed fine now, she was more anxious than ever. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

 

She downed her beer and turned back to the bartender to order a stronger drink. She had a feeling she was going to need it.


	19. Wrecking Ball

                                                  

“Can I get another one, please?”

 

I motion to the bartender with my empty glass and then plunk it down on the bar. I flash a winning smile at the man working and crack a joke about drinking alone. I’m on my third, and my indignant anger at Josh and his damn big mouth is starting to wane. With one more cocktail in my system, I might be willing to put off the inevitable conversation with my birthday boy boyfriend about his babbling about our relationship to a guy I trust no further than I can throw him, and that’s about a half inch.

 

The amber liquid lands in front of me, and I pick it up and swirl it. My fingers look longer than normal, and I spend a few seconds admiring them before the numbness in my brain takes over. Suddenly, I want nothing more than to get those same hands on my boyfriend’s backside and then some naked skin.

 

Where is that kid, anyway? I swivel on my barstool to survey the room and spot him on the corner of the dance floor grooving with some of his friends. I can’t really think of another word for the fluid moves Josh has on the dance floor. He’s holding back from using his real dancing skills, but he’s still able to hold his own. If the world ever really saw Josh dancing… Well, there would be some women swooning over his thrusting hips and the rotation of his pelvis. Not that there aren’t plenty of those already.

 

Well, shit… I have got to get my hands on that guy.

 

I throw back the rest of my drink and stand. I steady myself and then attempt to make it across the room to him without stumbling or falling out of my much too high heels. Why the hell did I wear those tonight? It’s Josh, for fuck’s sake. He doesn’t give a shit what I wear as long as he can take it off me later. I should have worn sweats. Easy access and all that.

 

I bump up against him on the floor, and he wraps one of his arms around me to pull me close. My limbs are heavy, and I’m more than happy Josh told me to get some adult beverages in me.

 

“Hey, Joshy!” I slur slightly, and he leers back at me before bumping his hips into mine.

 

“Jennifer! Let’s dance!” He sounds as loose and relaxed as I am, which only makes me more determined to get him alone for a few minutes. I need him. Now.

 

I wrap my arm around his shoulder and tug his ear to my lips. Making sure to speak loudly enough for him to hear over the music and softly enough that no one can eavesdrop, I half-shout, “Want to help me find a bathroom?”

 

I wink at him and walk away, shaking my ass as I do, and move toward the hallway where the restrooms can provide us a few minutes of privacy. I make my way to a stall and rest against the wall while I wait for him, but it doesn’t take long before he joins me.

 

“Hey,” he greets me huskily. “Imagine finding you here,” he grins and leans in to kiss me.

 

His tongue slides between my lips, and I wrap my arms securely around his neck and thread my fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck. With a soft moan, I melt into him and open my mouth wider to accept him.

 

When I have the will power to come up for air, I mumble fairly unconvincingly, “I’m a little mad at you.”

 

He nudges my head back and trails his warm, wet mouth down the cords of my neck until I sigh. When a soft moan escapes me, he murmurs, “What a coincidence. I’m still pissed that you were two hours late for my party.”

 

“You know I’m sorry,” I gasp as he nips my neck and reaches inside my bra to rub my nipple roughly with the pad of his thumb.

 

“You’ll be sorry later when I’ve got you in bed and you’re at my mercy,” he teases in his sexy baritone.

 

“Promise?”

 

He nods, his eyes half-closed with lust, and I decide to let it go for now. It’s much more fun to make up with him than it is to fight.

 

“Hey, birthday boy,” I mumble against his lips. “I’m ready to give you your present now. Want me to start unwrapping?”

 

Josh groans and fondles my breasts more roughly as he pushes into me. I can feel him thickening but he’s certainly not hard yet. I’m sure it won’t take him too long to get there if I pull his cock out, but my arms won’t quite cooperate. Instead, I kiss him back harder and fuse myself against him. 

 

We make out for several more minutes. Our gasps and moans fill the stall with noises of passion, but neither of us seem to be able to forget the party outside these walls. Josh has dozens of people here just for him, and we’re still trying to keep our relationship quiet for another month. It’s so tempting to forget our privacy and admit how much we love each other on his special night, but we agreed over some damn spitballs.

 

The door to the ladies room opens, and I pull my mouth from Josh’s quickly. I giggle softly and put my index finger over my lips to indicate we should be quiet. The automatic toilet flushes, which covers up our muffled laughter. When the unwanted guest relieves herself and leaves, he leans toward me and captures my bottom lip with his teeth. He tugs, and I moan from deep inside my throat until he nips me and then lets go.

 

“Dammit, Jen. I want you so much,” he admits. “Whose bright idea was it for me to have a big birthday party instead of getting you naked instead?”

 

“It may not have been one of your smartest plans.”

 

He snorts with laughter and kisses my lips lightly before he disengages his arms from me. “You know I want nothing more than to take you right now, but we’ve got time for that later.” He adjusts himself to ease the ache of his thickened member and says ruefully, “Got to get back to my damn party.”

 

“The perils of fame,” I joke.

 

“Yeah, but so was meeting you, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything, baby.”

 

Josh looks at me with hooded eyes, and I whisper, “Me either, sweetheart.”

 

Electricity crackles between us, and I’m reminded again of how damn lucky I am to have my life and him in it.

 

And then he breaks the connection between us by doing the unthinkable. He asks me to sing karaoke with him in front of his friends. What an ass.

 

I try to resist, but it is his birthday, and I’ve figured out I can’t really deny Josh anything when he asks for something so selfless as me celebrating with him by singing really badly. We’re both fantastic at that.

 

“One song,” I agree as his hands, with those gloriously long fingers, massage my rounded ass and send tingles through my core.

 

“Two,” he counters and pinches my left cheek.

 

I find my way under the hem of his t-shirt and dip my fingers into the waistband of his jeans. His breath hitches when I find the soft trail of hair that disappears into his pants, but then he grabs my hand to stop me.

 

“Two, Jennifer. I want two songs.”

 

I kiss him softly and agree, even though I’d rather run naked through the room than get up on stage and pretend I have a decent voice—but then again, does anybody actually sound good singing karaoke?

 

I let him leave first and then follow him back into the open area of the bar where Josh’s friends continue to revel in drinks and dancing. I make my way to the dance floor when I hear Josh’s voice boom through the room.

 

“Who wants to karaoke with the birthday boy?” he shouts into the microphone. Cheers fill the room, and he announces, “Get your song selections ready because we’re going to karaoke until we can’t anymore. But first— First, my good friend and incredibly insane friend, Oscar winner, Jennifer Lawrence has agreed to sing not one, but two songs with me. It’s going to be epic. So, get your phones out and record the hell out of this one, but if you post anything online, we will hunt you down.” He says this with such a disarming charm that no one’s offended, and that only makes me more proud of him.

 

“Jen! Get yourself another drink and get your ass up here. We’ve got some singing to do!” The crowd cheers at Josh’s words, and someone shoves a glass in my hand as the first strains of Pitbull’s _Fireball_ stream through the speakers. I give him an incredulous look and then shake my head at him. He twirls a second cordless mic and grins at me, so I have no choice but to climb the stairs and take the stage next to him. I can only imagine what the second song will be.

 

I’m uncomfortable, and I think Josh knows it because he plays the part of a doting best friend better than I’ve ever seen him. He’s bubbly and charming and downright effervescent, and I allow that to ease my anxiety. I’ve had enough to drink to relax, and I’m with him. Really, what could go wrong? I throw caution to the wind and give in. I’m going to own this damn karaoke stage.

 

Josh twirls his microphone and points it at me before he chants in time with the accompaniment, “Mr. Worldwide to infinity, you know the roof on fire. We gon' boogie oogie oogie, jiggle, wiggle and dance like the roof on fire.” He waggles his eyebrows at me and shimmies his hips and continues the verse as I attempt to look amused instead of downright horny as hell.

 

I think I’ve got a grin plastered to my face when Josh yells to the audience, “We gon' drink drinks and take shots until we fall out, like the roof on fire.” Everybody cheers and raises their glasses, so I do too and then gulp down the whiskey in one swallow. My buzz is perfect, and I’m actually starting to have a good time.

 

That must be the reason I jump in and take the next few phrases. With the empty glass in my hand, I point it at Josh and stomp toward him in time to the music and shout, “Now baby give a booty naked, take off all your clothes, and light the roof on fire. Tell her, tell her baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby, I'm on fire.”

 

Josh smirks at the double entendre and sings back, “I tell her baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby, I'm a fireball.” He stares into my eyes and we circle each other onstage. It looks like a great routine, but I doubt anyone can really tell that we’re stripping each other with our eyes.

 

He bends at the knees and launches into the next verse, but I’m too busy watching his ass gyrate under those dark jeans to really listen. I catch a few phrases about “big bang boogie” and “kitty little noogie” and booties and… I shake myself slightly as Josh rubs up against me and we grind against each other as the words fall from our lips. He wraps his left arm around to my right hip as he pulls my ass back into his groin. We bump togehter as we sing, and the rest of the party shouts in approval.

 

We have the crowd in the palm of our collective hands, so it’s no surprise at all that they scream along with us the end of the song. The group chant builds in a frenzied, “We're taking it, we're taking it, we're taking it down. We're taking it, we're taking it, we're taking it down,” and Josh and I sink lower to the stage together before we start “bringing it back” as the song suggests. By the time we reach the last “fireball” of the song, Josh’s cock is poking into my ass, and I want to throw him onto the stage and ride him until we both explode. Thankfully I haven’t had so much to drink that I give in and think that’s okay. As the last strains of our first song fade, Josh sinks into one of the chairs toward the side of the stage to hide his erection from the crowd, while I make a show of bowing to the applause from the rest of the guests.

 

I’m just about to head toward him when I hear the unmistakable sounds of Missy Elliot’s _Work It_ drop through the speakers. I freeze and stare at him in disbelief. He’s sitting in that chair, just as he was in Cannes when we’d both had too much to drink and I practically gave him a lap dance in front of the rest of the cast and half the indie move industry. He winks at me, and I shoot him a look of disgust before the speakers screech and a much slower and quieter melody replaces what I will always think of as “our song.”

 

I haven’t even placed the new track before Josh lifts his mic and sings in a soft and surprisingly good voice, “We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain. We jumped, never asking why. We kissed. I fell under your spell. A love no one could deny.” A lump grows in my throat as his gaze holds mine. His eyes soften, and both of us mist over at the underlying promise in the lyrics to Miley Cyrus’ _Wrecking Ball_. Both of us know Miley, and there’s something special about the words of this one for us.

 

We have to be careful if we want to keep hiding how we feel, so I take over the next part of the song and walk toward him slowly before trailing my fingers across his shoulders. With over dramatic tenderness, I gulp out, “Don't you ever say I just walked away. I will always want you. I can't live a lie, running for my life. I will always want you.”

 

Josh nods at me in such a way I know only we can understand the current that passes between us. As the bass line descends, he winks and jumps from his chair. We both face the crowd and point our fingers at them and screech as off-key as we can, “I came in like a wrecking ball! I never hit so hard in love.”

 

Josh’s friends shriek in approval at our antics and join us for the rest of the chorus. Josh and I turn to face each other, and he grasps his left hand into a fist for extra flair while we all wail, “All I wanted was to break your walls. All you ever did was wreck me. Yeah, you, you wre—eh—eck me.”

 

I barely process the rest of the song. We play it perfectly, which isn’t too surprising since we’re both talented actors. We’re silly, overly dramatic, melodramatic, and every other –matic we can possibly be. The rest of the club eats it up—all except Jarod who watches us from the back of the room with a huge, shit-eating grin on his face and Josh’s mom who looks like she’s so overwhelmed she’s about to cry. Since those two are the only people who actually know how Josh and I feel about each other, I sigh in relief. The secret’s still safe.

 

As the song ends, Josh grabs the mic from my hand and puts them both back in the microphone stands before wrapping me in a huge bear hug. My face is toward to the room, so no one can see when he lifts his lips to my ear and murmurs, “I love you, baby girl. You’ve wrecked me for anyone else.”

 

I have to fight to keep my face clear, but something so powerful shoots through me that I feel a physical reaction to his words. Despite how long I’ve known and loved Josh, there’s something about him that always makes me feel like I’m experiencing the emotions for the first time.

 

I turn my back to the crowd and level my gaze at him. Quickly, I ask, “You have a driver for later, right?”

 

He nods in the affirmative and lifts an eyebrow in question.

 

“Blowjob on the way home,” I inform him and rotate to walk off the stage. He helps me down, his palm on the small of my back, and we’re welcomed enthusiastically back to the dance floor. It only takes a few seconds before I’m pulled one direction and he in another. The next couple of hours pass in a haze of drunken karaoke that ranges from bad to terrible and glimpses of Josh across the crowded room. He’s having a great time, and I’m reminded again how beloved my boyfriend is by those who are lucky enough to know him.

 

I mingle with the crowd, many of whom I know since Hollywood really is a very small town, until I find myself face to face again with Jarod. I duck my head to avoid his knowing look and try to escape. It doesn’t work.

 

He pushes a drink in my empty hands and half-yells at me, “That was quite a performance from you and the birthday boy. So much passion.” He deadpans the last part, and I feel a fresh wave of gratitude that he seems to be willing to keep his mouth shut about us.

 

“Well, you know Josh,” I answer. “He’s pretty inspiring.”

 

“He sure as fuck is, Jennifer,” Jarod agrees and walks away.

 

By the time Josh finds me so we can leave, I’m more than ready to spend the rest of the night alone with my secret but incredibly sexy boyfriend. We’ve barely pulled away from the curb before I hit the privacy screen between us and the driver and pull Josh free from his pants. I sink to my knees in the floor of the back seat and take in him my mouth. His moans and gasps coupled with his hands threaded through my hair and tugging lightly convince me that he’s happy.

 

It’s only a few more minutes before Josh groans, “Jennifer… Oh fuck, Jen. I’m gonna blow.” I grab his hands and wrap my fingers through his and squeeze. He bucks from the seat and hot spurts of liquid fill my mouth.

 

When I rise from my knees, he grabs me and pulls me into his lap as his tongue plunges between my lips. He breaks the kiss and brushes my hair back from my eyes. “Your mouth is fire, baby,” he babbles.

 

“That’s fireball to you, mister,” I tease.

 

He groans and allows his head to fall back against the seat. “Fireball, wrecking ball, whatever. Just don’t stop touching mine.”

 

“Never, Joshy. Absolutely never. Your balls are mine forever.”

 

“Sounds like just the right amount of time to me.”

 

Forever sounds right to me too.


	20. Exploding Balls

                                                             

“Hey, baby,” Josh drawled into the phone as he moved around the kitchen and stacked the breakfast dishes with his free hand. Chris stood at the sink rinsing plates, bowls, and silverware and handed them to Connor to load into the dishwasher. If it had been up to Josh, he would have left the dishes for his housekeeper, but his dad nixed that idea when he found out it wouldn’t be for three more days.

 

Jen snorted with laughter at Josh’s thick Kentucky accent and answered, “Hi, sexy. What are you and your boys doing today?”

 

“My boys, huh?” Josh chuckled. “Hey, Dad! Did you know you’re one of the boys?”

 

Chris flashed a grin at his son and shook his head before clapping his younger son’s shoulder and guiding him from the kitchen to give Josh some privacy for his phone conversation.

 

“My dad thanks you for your compliment on his age.”

 

“Shut up!” Jen snarled in mock anger and then snorted again. When Josh didn’t respond, she realized he had done what she asked for once. “I’m kidding, Josh. What are y’all doing today?”

 

“Y’all? Going back to your roots?” he teased.

 

“Josh, answer my damn question,” Jen demanded with a hint of impatience.

 

“Keep your panties on, Jennifer. Wait. Don’t listen to that. Take them off. Take them off, twirl them over your head, and throw them at me.”

 

“Will you stop?” She worked hard to stay mad, but both of them failed to control their laughter. After several minutes, they managed to contain themselves, and they grinned into their phones at each other.

 

“Still waiting for those panties, darlin’,” he joked before answering her. “We’re going to a paintball course. It’s been a while since the Hutcherson men shot at each other.”

 

“Hmm... exploding balls. That sounds like a great time, hon.”

 

“Nah, a great time will be when you make my balls explode when we’re alone together.”

 

Jen sucked in a breath at his words. “You are a shithead,” she snipped. Both of them knew she wasn’t really mad, but heat rushed through her in an uncomfortable way. They still hadn’t discussed the argument they’d barely avoided at his birthday party, and it had been a couple of weeks. Their busy work schedules and then an unplanned visit from his dad and brother had interrupted their normal time together. Several days without him had made her extremely antsy.

 

“But I’m your shithead, and I love you,” he said in a soft voice.

 

Her heart softened at his words, and she returned the sentiment. “I especially love your exploding balls. I’m kinda jealous you’re going paintballing. I haven’t been in years.”

 

“Well, you know you’re always welcome, babe. We’re just waiting for Jarod and Andre to get here before we take off. What have you got going on today?”

 

“Jarod, huh? Your best bud?” She tried to contain the snark in her voice, but it didn’t work. Josh picked up on it with no problem.

 

In a measured pitch, he challenged her, “What is your problem with Jarod, Jennifer? He’s a good friend. Sometimes he does stupid stuff, but we all have. Why are you so pissy about him?”

 

Jen sucked in air and struggled to calm herself before she answered. “I’m sorry, Josh. Just forget it. It’s not really a big deal. He’s fine. Just not my cup of tea.”

 

“Don’t give me that bullshit. Why the fuck do you hate one of my best friends?” His voice registered more anger than he probably felt, but he was more frustrated than he wanted to admit. They still weren’t communicating well. It seemed as if they’d hit a wall since they’d decided to postpone announcing their relationship, and he was overly ready for that obstacle to be behind them.

 

“Josh, don’t. I don’t hate him,” she started, but he interrupted her before she could complete her thoughts.

 

“Whatever,” he snapped. “My guys are here. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

“Josh, wait!” Jen barked into the phone. “Where are you going to play paintball? I have a meeting with my agent in a few minutes, but maybe I could meet up with you later?” She sighed in relief when he answered her.

 

“I’ll send you the address. Let me know if you want to come,” he returned impatiently and hung up without ceremony. He didn’t mean to be rude to his girlfriend, but there were times when she wore him out—and not in a good way.

 

“Josh? You okay, son?”

 

Josh turned to see his father standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “How often did you want to strangle Mom when you first got together?”

 

Chris laughed at the dry sarcasm in his son’s voice and moved across the kitchen and clapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Always and never. When you’re crazy about someone, you tend to feel crazy all the time,” Chris said with a smile but then turned serious. “Just talk to her. You both have such wild lives. Set aside some time to discuss things, and be completely honest. Don’t hold anything back. Whatever it is that’s been eating at you has been eating away at your relationship. She deserves to know what’s going on.”

 

“You can tell something’s been bothering me, huh?”

 

“I’ve known you since you were born, Joshua Ryan. I can tell when you’re bottling something inside you. You get a little twitchy, and your eyes cloud the tiniest bit.”

 

Josh nodded thoughtfully and then engulfed his dad in a bear hug. “Thanks. You always did give me sound girl advice. Ever since that first kiss in _Little Manhattan_.”

 

“Relationships are sticky and they’re hard work, but they’re worth it. You’ve grown up a lot since then, but the fear you’re feeling is the same.” He finished quietly, “She’s worth the hard work, Josh. Don’t let your insecurities get the better of you.”

 

Josh swallowed hard. As always, his father’s advice hit him exactly where he needed it. He was about to confess his hidden anxieties when Jarod, Andre, and Connor burst into the kitchen.

 

“Let’s go, man! Time to let off some steam,” Jarod demanded while giving Josh a quick, rough shoulder rub.

 

Josh let himself get carried away by the energy of his friends and family and headed to the garage with his keys. The sheer noise of the group eased his frustration, and he held back to allow Jarod, Andre, and Connor to hop in the back of his jeep.

 

“I’ll talk to her, Dad. This weekend after Halloween. I’ll make sure it happens,” he said softly enough so only the two of them could hear.

 

Chris nodded in approval and climbed into the passenger seat while Josh whistled for Driver. His beloved blue pit bull came running, and Josh fitted Driver’s harness around his torso.

 

“You ready to get some fresh air today, bud?”

 

Driver barked loudly in excitement and wiggled his back end as he pranced with his front paws. Josh opened the back of his jeep and his dog settled happily amongst the paintball guns, pellets, masks, and other protective gear. Josh climbed into the driver’s seat, cranked up the stereo, and backed out of the garage. They hit a little traffic on the freeway but made it to the paintball range by late morning. He’d arranged for one of the paintball arenas to be reserved for their own private use. The sheer number of people waiting to purchase playing time and suit up in protective gear made him grateful for that plan.

 

As he neared the cashier, he sent a text to Jen so she had the address and invited her to meet them after her meeting. He remembered to tell her to wear long sleeves and pants to protect her skin before he stopped short at the sound of an overly familiar voice calling his name.

 

“Well, look who’s here,” said a female in a deep throaty tone that positively oozed sex. That voice was accompanied by the lush, curvaceous body of Chloe, a fellow actor and former…fling? Girlfriend? Friend with benefits? Josh wasn’t sure exactly how to classify what they’d been to each other, but it was a hell of a lot of fun while it lasted. Maybe more importantly, what they’d had helped keep him from going crazy over Jen while they’d filmed _Catching Fire_ in Hawaii.

 

“Hey!” he replied with surprised enthusiasm and gave Chloe a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

 

“Hey, guys,” Chloe drawled huskily to the rest of his group before introducing her three female friends. “We were planning to go a few rounds, but it’s so crowded we may just leave.”

 

Josh wasn’t sure what made him say it, but before he could stop himself he offered, “You can play with us. We’ve got a private range.”

 

Chloe’s friends squealed with enthusiasm, and she engulfed him in another embrace. He felt the curves of her body as she pressed against him, and he turned so he could inconspicuously readjust the front of his pants when she let him go. Apparently Little Joshy didn’t remember things had ended between Chloe and himself several months prior.

 

The next couple of hours passed quickly. Jarod, arguably the most adventurous of the group, kept them guessing with different themes—capture the flag, partners, every man for himself (which amused the girls), and target practice. Josh’s favorite was a highly competitive version of tag, and he’d almost won the round when disaster struck. He rounded a grove of trees and started sprinting for home base when he collided with another player. They went down in a heap of limbs and equipment, and Josh landed with an audible thwack on his back. His subconscious mind must have registered the other player was female because he cradled her against him to protect her, despite having lost his breath when he fell.

 

Black spots clouded his vision as he struggled to get air back into his starving lungs. He gasped a few times and gave a thankful moan when he could breathe again. It took slightly longer to realize the person in his arms was Chloe, that her hand right hand was caught between them, and that her palm lay squarely on his crotch. Before he could register what was happening, blood rushed to his groin, and he thickened under her touch.

 

It was obvious she felt it because she raised her head and grinned at him as she asked coyly, “Is that a paintball gun, or are you just happy to see me?”

 

The sound of her voice shot straight to his dick, and the unmistakable look of lust in her eyes drove every coherent thought from his mind. Later he’d blame the lack of oxygen to his brain from getting the wind knocked out of him, but his mind was blank when Chloe lowered her head and kissed him roughly before sneaking her tongue between his lips. As he opened his mouth under her onslaught, something registered in his mind that her mouth felt different than it was supposed to.

 

He stopped the kiss abruptly when he heard Jen’s voice from a much too close distance. He shot up and practically dumped Chloe on her ass on the hard dirt as his eyes caught his girlfriend’s glare. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about his tented pants—even with the ice cold realization that his real relationship was still supposed to be a secret and there was only so much he could do to comfort Jen without revealing their connection.

 

“Josh, you didn’t tell me I had to kiss one of you guys if I joined you for paintball today.” Jen’s voice contained a teasing lilt, but her eyes were hard as flint. The rest of her face remained relaxed. She even had a slight smile on her lips, but she was a very good actress. Josh recognized the anger rushing through her as she stared at him.

 

“Hey, Jennifer,” he greeted her carefully as he tried to figure out exactly how to negotiate the situation.

 

“What are you doing on the ground, Josh? Get your ass up and quit hogging all the girls.” Jarod’s overly bright razzing was the most welcome sound Josh had heard all day, and he grabbed Jarod’s hand as a lifeline to haul himself from the ground.

 

“Sorry, man. What can I say? The girls know where it’s at.” Josh shot a wink at both Chloe and Jennifer before sending a telepathic plea for Jen to believe him.

 

Jarod leaned over to greet Jen with a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Jen. Thanks for meeting us. I was hoping you would. It’s reunion day or something. We ran into Chloe and her friends here today, too. It was so busy, Josh offered to let them use our private range.”

 

“Ah… I see. Josh is super kind that way,” Jen sneered behind an overly friendly face before turning to Chloe and addressing her. “Good to see you again, Chloe. Wasn’t sure if that would happen once we left Hawaii.”

 

Josh’s breath caught at the veiled venom in Jen’s voice. Her insinuation was clear. Josh and Chloe were over, and it had ended in Hawaii. Jen was staking a claim to him, and it was obvious Chloe knew something wasn’t right. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Josh shot a desperate glare at Jen.

 

Jarod stepped in front of Jen and proposed, “Why don’t you come get suited up, Jen. Driver’s guarding our stuff.” He turned her toward the pile of equipment several feet away leaving Josh and Chloe standing next to each other in silence.

 

“Sorry, Chloe. I didn’t mean to knock you over. And the kiss…” He trailed off without finishing the sentence because he didn’t know how to make the situation any less awkward.

 

Chloe shrugged and reached down to pick up her paintball gun. As she straightened, she allowed her eyes to rake over his body and up to his mouth. She ran her tongue slowly over her bottom lip before uttering, “You know my number. When you want to let that kiss go further, give me a call. Until then, I just knocked you on your ass, and my team won.” She tossed a flirtatious wink over her shoulder and sauntered toward her friends who’d been watching from a safe distance for the past several minutes. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the sway of her hips until Andre approached him from the side and asked if he was okay.

 

“Huh?” Josh shook his head and then turned to his friend. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m good.”

 

“Want to tell me what all that was about?”

 

Josh heaved an uncomfortable sigh and admitted, “Not really, man. Just a lot of noise where there shouldn’t be any.” Andre shot him a strange look but walked away without questioning Josh’s silence. Chris and Connor had joined the rest of the group at the pile of supplies, and Josh avoided his dad’s look when he crossed the distance between them.

 

Still attempting to keep the peace, Jarod separated them into five teams of two, with Jen and he as partners and Chloe paired up with Andre, and gave them their instructions. Josh turned his attention to his partner, one of Chloe’s friends who he barely knew, and discussed strategy. The magic of the day had been lost on him, though, so it was mostly a relief when their reservation time expired, and they moved to the parking lot. Josh said goodbye to Chloe and her friends and then addressed his carload, “I’m gonna walk Jen to her car real quick. Can you make sure Driver’s settled?”

 

Jen stalked a few feet ahead of him, and Josh trailed helplessly behind her. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out she was furious with him, but he didn’t feel as if her anger was completely justified. He hadn’t really done anything wrong.

 

When she got to her car, she turned to face him with her keys in her hand. In a voice shaking with anger, she enunciated very carefully, “I don’t want to talk about it, Josh.”

 

“Jennifer—” he started, but she cut him off with a sharp shake of her head.

 

“Don’t. I need some time to calm down. We leave for the press tour in a week. I really think maybe I shouldn’t see you till then. Your dad and brother are here. My mom and dad are here to help me move into my new house. Let’s just let this go for now. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’m going to say something I don’t want to say.” She bit her lip and tears flooded her eyes but refused to fall. “I don’t want to regret anything later,” she admitted with a tremble in her voice.

 

He pulled her into a hug and waited for her to relax against him, but it didn’t happen. He released her so as not to call attention to them, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up. “We’re supposed to see each other on Halloween. Haunted house tour, remember?”

 

She nodded curtly and opened her car door before sliding into the driver’s seat. “I forgot. Yeah, I’ll be there… But until then, just leave me alone, okay? Something’s going on with us, and I don’t want to lose you.”

 

“Jen,” he said softly, “you’re not going to lose me. Ever. We just need to talk and clear the air.”

 

She took a labored breath and a sob caught in her chest. She turned the key in the ignition and shut the door before rolling down the window and glancing up at him with a pained expression. “We’ll talk,” she agreed, “but after Halloween. I don’t want to deal with this until then. I need some time, and you need to figure it out. Whatever the hell you’re hiding, stop it. Get your shit together, Josh. Stop being a dick.” She shifted the car into park and released the brake.

 

“I’m sorry,” he cried, but she didn’t slow down.

 

She did, however, toss out the window as she drove away, “You should be.”

 

Josh felt a shiver of fear pass through him. Were they going to be able to survive this? It took him only a few seconds before he felt a rush of peace. They would. They had to. They just needed time to talk, and he needed to come clean. Until then, he should pay attention to his friends, dad, and brother because he never got to see them enough.

 

Suddenly Halloween seemed like a very long time away without the prospect of being alone with her—way too long before his balls actually did explode from sexual frustration. With a soft but emphatic curse, he headed back to his jeep. When did three days become a lifetime?


	21. Ball of Fear

                                                                

 

“Mom!” Jen called from her bathroom in a panic. “Mom!  I can’t find my hat!” Her mother poked her hand, which held a pointed witch’s hat, into the bathroom, and Jen sagged with relief. “Oh, good,” she gushed. “I thought I lost it.” She scanned the tubes and creams on the counter and burst out in frustration, “Now where are my damn fake eyelashes? I can’t find  _anything_ !”

 

Karen reached down and picked up a miniature white container that was partially hidden under a small black makeup bag and looked at her daughter in sympathy when she burst into tears.

 

“Honey, what’s wrong? Sit down. Talk to me.”

 

Jen blubbered for a few minutes but finally gave up and threw herself into her mother’s arms and bawled on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she cried repeatedly as Karen patted her on the back in comfort. It took her several minutes to wind down, but eventually she did and gathered herself. Wiping tears from her eyes, she sat down at the vanity and spilled the story.

 

“Josh and I had a fight,” she admitted. Her shoulders slumped in sadness, and she fought to quell her rolling stomach. It felt as if a ball of fear bounced inside, and it was doing nothing to help her nerves.

 

“Do you want to tell me about it?” her mom asked in a soothing tone.

 

“No! Yes… I don’t know.”

 

“I’m here when you’re ready.”

 

Jen shuddered and shook her head before raising her eyes to her mom’s and spitting, “He kissed an ex-girlfriend.”

 

Karen’s eyes widened slightly. That didn’t sound like the Josh her daughter had grown to care about over the past few years, so there had to be more to the story.

 

“It was Chloe, and she was all over him at paintball the other day. And he didn’t push her away at all. He just let her kiss him and lay on top of him and—”

 

“Sweetheart, I don’t mean to interrupt, but did you hear what you just said? _She_ was all over him. _She_ kissed him. _She_ was lying on him.”

 

“That doesn’t change the fact that her tongue was in his mouth and—”

 

“And what?”

 

Jen hung her head in frustration. “He wasn’t exactly hiding his response, if you know what I mean.”

 

“Oh. Oh, I see.” Karen remained quiet for a few minutes before she spoke. She wanted to be as gentle as possible with her daughter in this situation. She’d had a rough time lately, and Jen was more fragile than the public was willing to admit. She was tough and strong and powerful, but she was also a young woman struggling to remain private in a world that didn’t want to let her have her own life.

 

“Jen, you’ve been around guys all your life. You know that physical reactions aren’t necessarily always voluntary. Sometimes the body just reacts. Sometimes there’s a natural…I don’t know what to call it…stirring?”

 

“A stirring?” Jen asked in disbelief. “My boyfriend’s dick reacting to a woman on top of him is a ‘stirring’?”

 

“I’m not giving him a pass, Jen. I wasn’t there. I didn’t see what happened like you did, but I know you, and I know how happy Josh has made you since you started dating. I’ve seen how much he’s meant to you since you met him, how much his story inspired you when you first started in acting. Josh is very special to you, Jen. He’s always been good to you. Isn’t it possible this was one out of character moment with him?”

 

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Jen asked in suppressed fury. “Josh is such a good guy that he gets to screw up, and I have to be okay with it?”

 

“I’m not saying you have to be okay with it. I’m not saying Josh gets away with it. He should explain himself, and he should apologize to you that he hurt you. But ask yourself this…do you think he loves you? And if so, do you love him?”

 

Jen’s heart constricted at the question, and she felt a rush of longing for her boyfriend. She nodded, too afraid to speak because she was scared she’d lose it if she did. After a few minutes she mumbled, “I miss him so much. It’s only been a few days, and I miss him like crazy.”

 

“And do you love him?” Karen prodded.

 

“Of course I do. You know I love him.”

 

“Then talk to him. Give him a chance to explain what happened.”

 

“Jarod already explained what happened. Josh invited Chloe and her friends to play paintball with them, and when I got there, she was on the ground on top of him with her tongue down his throat. Jarod made it a point to convince me that nothing was happening between them, that it was all just a misunderstanding.”

 

“From your tone, I take it you don’t believe him.”

 

“I don’t trust him. Josh told Jarod about us. Of all the friends Josh has, he told Jarod. Why him? Why not Andre? Why not…well, _anyone_ but Jarod?” Jen threw up her hands in exasperation and stared at her mom.

 

“What’s wrong with Jarod?”

 

“Why does everybody ask me that? I don’t know! Nothing. He’s just… I just get the feeling Jarod likes that he and Josh are friends.”

 

“I think I’m missing something. Why wouldn’t he like that?”

 

“He should like it. That’s not what I mean. I mean that Josh is a lot more famous than Jarod, and I think Jarod appreciates that a little too much.”

 

“Jen, honey, _you_ are a lot more famous than Josh, and he’s friends with you. Has Jarod ever given you reason to distrust him?”

 

“No. I barely know him.”

 

“Did he tell anyone that you and Josh are dating since he found out?”

 

“No. At least not that I know of.”

 

“Then maybe you should give the guy a pass. Maybe he was simply trying to tell you what actually happened because you walked in at a bad time. Maybe Josh really was caught in an awkward moment, and he did nothing wrong.”

 

The ring tone for text messages sounded on her phone, and she glanced at it to see a message from Josh. Why was it so easy to be mad at him when he and everyone else seemed to think what had happened wasn’t such a big deal?

 

The ball of fear she’d been battling settled slightly in her stomach, and it hit her then. She loved him, and because of that, her fear of being hurt by him was a thousand times more terrifying than someone else betraying her. And yet, she knew he loved her. There was no doubt in her mind about that.

 

“Thanks, Mom,” she said softly. “You’re right. I need to talk to Josh, and I know it’s going to be okay. Once you and Dad leave, I’ll clear things up with him.”

 

“That’s my girl,” Karen stated. “Now, let me help you get your costume done. The car will be here in a few minutes, and you’re not green with envy yet. Oh wait…”

 

The two of them laughed, and Jen felt the weight of the world fall off her shoulders. The only fear she’d have the rest of the night was from the haunted houses and not because she was worried about her relationship with Josh.

 

 

****

 

 

**Happy Halloween. I love you. See you soon.**

 

Josh tapped a text to Jen and held his phone for a few minutes while willing it to buzz in his hand. He waited a while, but it remained silent. With a frustrated grunt, he tossed it onto his bed and slammed into the bathroom to stare at himself in the mirror.

 

“You really managed to fuck this one up, Josh,” he lectured his reflection. Jen had held true to her word and completely ignored him the past few days after his unintentional indiscretion at the paintball range with his former…well, girlfriend was too strong a word, but whatever. He understood her anger, but her silence pissed him off, too. He hadn’t responded to Chloe intentionally. Every reaction he’d had was physical and beyond his control as he’d lay gasping for air with the wind knocked out of him.

 

More importantly, he didn’t want Chloe—or any other woman for that matter. He wanted Jennifer. He’d wanted her for years, and he didn’t want it to end now. Hopefully not ever.

 

He slammed his palm on the bathroom counter with a curse before forcing himself to work on the makeup that would hide his face from the throngs he knew would crowd the haunted houses he, Jen, and several of her friends were supposed to visit that night. When he’d agreed to attend, they’d been disgustingly happy in love; now he wished the two of them could spend the night alone together repairing the damage he’d inadvertently done to their relationship by trying to hide his doubts and uncertainties from her. He’d been trying to protect her, but that hadn’t worked the way he’d planned.

 

He focused on applying the white makeup and then darkening and shadowing his eyes to achieve a zombie-like complexion. He added some red to the rims of his eyes to make them look bloodshot and nodded in approval at the result. Zombie Number 2 was almost complete.

 

Josh’s face sported a soft grin as he remembered the silliness he and Jen had engaged in during filming in Hawaii. He knew behind-the-scenes footage existed of them crawling through the jungle moaning and dragging their limbs as they pretended to be zombies. At one point, he’d groaned, “I play zombie number two,” and they’d laughed for several minutes until Francis had called another take filming the poisonous fog scene.

 

Lost in the memories, he strolled back into his bedroom and picked up his phone. Shocked to see that only a few minutes remained before his transportation for the night arrived at his gate, he shifted into supersonic mode to finish putting his costume together.

 

Fifteen minutes later, the alarm sounded, and he buzzed the gate to let the car into his driveway. Swallowing his pride, he moved to the car. He was a ball of fear because he had no idea what awaited him on the other side of the car door. The windows were tinted so darkly that he couldn’t catch a glimpse inside. Would Jen be waiting for him alone or were her friends already inside? If she was alone, would she be ready to hear him out? Did he even want to try to explain himself before they spent the evening getting the shit scared out of them? Maybe this was a conversation for later when they could fall into bed together afterward and make up in a way his body craved.

 

Steeling himself, he pulled the handle and ducked his head before landing in the back seat in the midst of a coven of witches. A brief stab of disappointment shot through him when he realized he was the last to be picked up along the route, but that quickly gave way to awe when he saw how amazing Jen’s costume was. Only she could make a green-faced witch with warts more beautiful than a supermodel. He felt a stirring in his pants and silently cursed at Little Joshy. It was going to be a long night. 

 

He’d been worried the night might be awkward since he and Jen clearly had some issues they needed to deal with, but he was pleasantly surprised that things went remarkably well. Her friends greeted him warmly, and Jen shot him a wink and smile from the other side of the car. For a moment he considered moving so he could sit next to her, but that seemed to be more trouble than it was worth and as well as a cry of desperation. Besides, they’d be at the first place within a few minutes, and he could jockey for that position when they all got back in the car for the next place.

 

He wanted to be next to her, to feel her warmth against him and touch her—even if it wasn’t in the way he really wanted. Strangely enough, Jen had commented a few weeks before that all they ever did was jump into bed together. Since then it seemed like they’d barely seen each other naked. Jen was so much more to him than that, but he missed sex, and he definitely missed sex with her.

 

When the car pulled up to the first stop on the tour, he got out to help each of the women from the car and complimented their costumes as they emerged. Each of them was dressed as a witch, but each was distinctive in their makeup choices and clothing. One wore a plain black dress, one a short, tight skirt with black hose and knee high boots, and another completed her look with a material that resembled shredded garbage bags.

 

Jen’s costume, however, made his mouth water. She was covered from her neck to her feet, but it was with some form of latex that was so tight, he could see every curve of her delicious torso. A gauzy black skirt hung low from her hips and barely covered her ass. Below that she wore fishnets lined with green gauze to keep the green-skinned theme from her hands and face. A pair of two-inch spike heeled ankle boots completed the outfit.

 

When he helped her from the car, she pressed against him and gave him a tight hug, an action that was normal for their friendship. Even in front of her friends, she wanted to keep a lid on what they were to each other now. As far as he knew, only her parents and siblings knew. His parents both knew, as did Connor, but he hadn’t even told Andre yet. No wonder she’d been so mad he told Jarod. At least Andre had been with them on set for most of their escapades.

 

“You look beautiful,” he murmured in her ear before he let her go. He followed closely behind her because he wanted nothing more than for her to cling to him when she got scared in the haunted house. Maybe he’d even attempt to scare her as a joke.

 

He soon found that he should have been more worried about himself. The first haunted house was horrifying, but the next two terrified the bejeezus out of him. Jen and her friends screeched at every turn, which didn’t help his nerves at all. One of the stops featured a floating cemetery with more creepy things than he could register. Warm and soft breezes alternated, and he constantly felt as if he were being stroked. When he tried to brush away whatever was touching him, nothing was there but cold moisture.

 

Even worse, the third house contained a giant room of spiderwebs with real spiders, and he and Jen both about jumped out of their skins. She did grasp onto him at that point because she was so scared, but he was past the point of caring. He hated spiders as much as or more than she did, and not even the feel of her pressed against him made that room okay.

 

When they returned to the car, he admitted shakily, “I think I’m done for the night. I know there are a couple of places left on the tour, but I don’t think I can handle anymore shit like that. I hate spiders.” He shuddered hard, but it still felt like they were crawling on him. Jen looked at him in sympathy, and she and her friends agreed to drop him off before heading back to her new place for a Halloween slumber party. He wished she was having a slumber party with him instead.

 

The only solace he received to make up for spending another night alone, and who knew how many days after that, was the few minutes he got with Jen when she walked him to the door of his house.

 

“You sure you don’t want us to drop you off somewhere else? At a party or something? I hate that you’re spending Halloween alone tonight,” Jen asked with sincerity.

 

In the darkness of his front stoop, Josh pulled Jen into his arms and buried his face in her shoulder. He felt some of the rigidness leave her body, and she relaxed against him a little.

 

“I don’t want to be with anyone but you. I’ve missed you, Jen,” he breathed. “We have to talk soon. Tomorrow, Sunday, before we leave on the press tour. We _have_ to.”

 

She stiffened slightly but squeezed him in a soft hug before pulling away. With downcast eyes, she mumbled, “I’ll text you.” When he started to protest, she shook her head and took a step backward. “Before we leave on the press tour. I promise Josh, but after my parents leave. We’re going to need a lot of time to work through this, and I don’t want to take time away from them.”

 

He was sure the ball of hurt and fear he felt was reflected in his eyes, but he didn’t push her. In a broken voice, he pled, “I love you. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

 

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she raised her left hand to his cheek and caressed his makeup spattered face. “I know you do, hon, and I love you too.” She took a deep breath and admitted, “We’re going to be okay. Don’t think for a second that one kiss from another woman is enough to drive me away.”

 

His heart jumped at her words, and he stepped toward her to cup her green face in his hands. With a tenderness that shook them both, his lips found hers in a loving caress. There was no move to increase the pressure, no attempt to push. The kiss signified an understanding between them that helped ease the pressure of the past few days.

 

Soon enough the ball of fear would be nothing but a distant memory.


	22. Balls to the Wall

                                                                         

“Let me go first, okay?” Jen spoke softly and ran her fingers lovingly through Josh’s soft brown hair. Her eyes were misty as she gazed at him, a man she loved and respected so much it hurt.

 

Her parents had left earlier that day, and she was sitting in his living room preparing herself to have the conversation they’d both been dreading for the past several days. It was time to come clean with each other, and they both suffered from knotted stomachs and constricted lungs. Nothing they’d faced together had been this big, and she just wanted to have it out with him so they could move on.

 

He nodded, his eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. The tension between them had been hard on him, especially since his reluctance to open up to her after his eye injury directly contributed to the miscommunications that followed. And now, those miscommunications had evolved into a full-blown problem when Chloe kissed him during paintball. His fingers twitched on his knee, and he picked at a loose thread with his right hand.

 

“Okay,” he said so softly she could barely hear him.

 

Because he wasn’t looking at her, he missed her gentle smile, but that was okay. What she was about to say would make up for everything between them—or at least start them on the way to a complete recovery.

 

“I love you, Josh. I love you, and because of that I panicked and freaked out.” She took an unsteady breath and plunged ahead when his head stayed lowered in defeat. “There are three problems as I see it. The first is that you kissed another woman in front of me, whether you did it intentionally or not. You kissed Chloe, someone with whom you have a past, and I _know_ you have a past with her. Even if you didn’t have a past, you and I are together. Even though we’ve kept it secret, we’re together, and I don’t want my boyfriend with another woman’s tongue down his throat or hands on his dick.”

 

His raised his eyes to hers and held them, nodding. “I understand that, Jen, but you know it wasn’t what it looked like. You know me. I’m loyal. I don’t cheat on someone I love, and I would certainly never cheat on you. Never!” His voice hardened and rose with the vehemence of his conviction.

 

If there’d been any doubt at all in her as to whether or not he’d actually been into Chloe’s kiss, his sincerity at this moment convinced her that he meant what he said.

 

“I ran into her without realizing who it was, and I got the breath knocked out of me when I fell. I couldn’t even breathe. I was trying to get air into my lungs. I wasn’t worried about her on top of me. When she kissed me, it felt wrong because it wasn’t you, and I was about to pull away when I heard you.” His eyes shone with earnestness, and he pled, “You have to believe me, baby. You are the only woman I want, and I would never hurt you if I can help it.”

 

Jen’s lips curved upward slightly, and she said in a breathy voice, “I believe you, Josh. I do. I do know you, and I know in my heart you love me, that you’re committed to me. I was just mad, and there were other things that were bugging me. Which leads me to issue number two.”

 

Josh looked miserable, and she fought hard to remain strong. She knew they were going to be okay because there was no doubt anywhere in her that they belonged together and that he loved her without condition. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t aware of her inner peace about their relationship. He’d realize it soon enough, but she needed him to understand how much his actions had affected her the past month.

 

Her voice was steady as she continued. There was no backing down now that they’d started this conversation. “The second issue is that you told Jarod about us when we agreed to keep our relationship a secret from everyone but our families until we decided to go public. I know he’s your friend, and I know you trust him, but I barely know him, and he rubs me the wrong way. That’s probably unfair to him, but it’s how I feel. You’re so cool and humble and down to earth, and he’s just…not. He can be a little off-putting, even if he doesn’t mean to be, and that’s why I got pissed off at you. I’m sorry about that because there’s no logical reason for me not to like him. It’s just a personal thing, and that’s not your fault or his. In fact, I think I need to apologize to you about it.”

 

His face registered surprise, and he waited. It was clear he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

 

She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak. “I’m sorry I lost my temper at you for confiding in a friend. You deserve to be able to do that. I do it all the time, and it wasn’t okay for me to be pissed off at you about that. I know you didn’t tell him to betray my trust. I know you did it because you needed someone to talk to about whatever the fuck it is that’s been bothering you.”

 

The corners of his mouth turned down with sadness, and she wanted to forget all this and rip his clothes off to cheer him up, but she couldn’t back down now. They had to finish this.

 

“Jarod’s my friend. He has been for a long time, and he’s been a good one. You’re going to have to get used to him being around if we stay together. God, I hope we do…” His voice trailed off in wistful hopefulness, and she forced her face to remain impassive. When she didn’t speak, he continued in a broken voice, “I only talked to him because I couldn’t shake my mood at my party. I needed some perspective on us, and I knew he’d be completely honest with me. He always is.”

 

She did reach for him then and threaded her fingers though his. She struggled to keep her emotions under control and reassured him, “I understand. I really do, hon, but you can understand why I lost it. You hadn’t talked to me. You kept refusing to open up to me, and then you did to Jarod?! At your party when I was trying as hard as I could to get there on time, and it got fucked up… You were pissed at me for something beyond my control, and then you confided in him instead of me! Me! Your girlfriend. The person who was dying to know why you were so closed off since I elbowed you in the eye. God! I’m still worked up about it.”

 

She squeezed his hand in frustration, and he yelped in pain. “Sorry,” she muttered, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Oh god… Is that what’s wrong? Are you pissed that I’m such a klutz that I hurt you all the time?”

 

The horror on her face seemed to amuse him, and he offered his first genuine smile of the day. “That depends,” he drawled.

 

“On what?”

 

“On whether or not that’s the third problem.” His eyes twinkled with suppressed amusement, and she narrowed her eyes in confusion.

 

“Third problem?”

 

He laughed then. “You said there were three problems. You were mad about Chloe; you were mad about Jarod. Were you mad at me too? Because I wouldn’t tell you what was wrong?”

 

“Oh! Yeah,” she admitted with a chuckle and then sobered. “Are you ready to tell me yet?”

 

“I’m very, very, very close,” he answered. “I just have one favor to ask first.”

 

“What’s that?” she asked with a little trepidation.

 

He grinned at her but his eyes glowed with vulnerability. “Can I have a kiss first? If you decide to dump my ass, I at least want one last kiss with you.”

 

“Is it that bad?” Her stomach clutched with fear. This was the first time she wondered if what he was hiding was too much for them to handle.

 

“That’s for you to decide,” he said softly, “but I think we can get past it. It’s all my problem anyway.”

 

Her eyes flitted across his face, the face that had been such an important part of her life since they’d been cast in their first movie together almost four years ago. Her lips ached for his, so she leaned toward him and pressed her mouth to his. Electricity sparked between them, and their tongues found each other’s. His hands cupped her face as he angled his to reach further into the recesses of her warm mouth. A soft moan escaped her, and he sighed against her.

 

He pulled away from her reluctantly, but their shared kiss steadied him as nothing else could. If she could kiss him with such passion after the problems they’d had the past month, then they were going to be okay. Her swollen lips trembled, and her eyes clouded when she looked at him, and he took a shuddering breath. Tears pricked his eyes when he spoke, but it was a relief to finally explain what had been bothering him since they’d decided how to go public.

 

“First off, Jennifer, you have to know that I love you. Desperately. With everything I have. Nothing will change that. Nothing.” He paused to try to ease the ache in his throat before he continued. “I want to be with you more than anything, and I want nothing but the absolute best for you. Everything I am wants the best for you.”

 

His disconsolate gaze held hers, and he saw the tearful relief coupled with fear in hers. Jen could tell he hated saying things that hurt her, but she needed him to explain himself finally.

 

“I’m just scared maybe I’m not it,” he said.

 

Shock shot through her at his admission. Without thinking, she sputtered, “That is total _bullshit_! How can you even _think_ you aren’t what makes me happiest?”

 

He raised his hands in defense and spoke in a measured tone. “Don’t get pissed, baby. Just listen.” When she calmed, he continued, “I know who I am. I’m not trying to say I’m not good enough for you, but we’re actors. We work in Hollywood, and every single thing we do is under scrutiny. I’m worried about what happens when we go public; what happens when the press and paparazzi start commenting on us; what happens when all of them bring up my height or you being so much more famous than me; what happens when people compare our careers and find me lacking. I know I love you. You know I love you. I’m not worried about us. I’m worried about the pressure.”

 

“Oh, Josh,” Jen whispered brokenly. Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes washed with tears.

 

Josh gulped, and his voice cracked as he admitted, “I don’t want anyone to give you any doubts about me. I know how lucky I am to have you. The last thing I want is for any misgivings to affect how you feel about me because I don’t want to lose you. Ever.”

 

A lone tear escaped and trailed down his right cheek. Heartbroken, she wiped it away with the pad of her thumb and then kissed him tenderly. A sob escaped him, and he clung to her, which made her hurt even worse. She kissed him sweetly, softly, and repeatedly as his mouth sought hers in desperation.

 

After several minutes she pressed her forehead to his and murmured, “Look at me, Joshy.” His eyes fluttered open, and her heart seized at the despondency she saw there. Carefully and with as much sincerity as she could muster, she proclaimed, “I will never doubt our love. Never. You are everything I want, and nothing anyone says will ever change that. Sometimes it takes me forever to make a decision, but I’ve made mine about you. The answer is yes, and it will always be yes.”

 

His hazel gaze washed over her as he studied her. “You’re sure?” he asked hopefully. She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she nodded in the affirmative. The tension in Josh’s shoulders released then, and he pulled her toward him frantically. “Thank god. I love you so much.”

 

Jen slammed her mouth to his, and their kissing grew to a frenzied pitch in seconds. Her body lit on fire, and she wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her: hard, powerful, and bruising in a way that drove everything else from her mind.

 

“Josh,” she pled, “I need you.”

 

“Fuck, baby,” he whined as his hands sought her skin under her shirt. “I need you, too. Shit, I’ve missed you.”

 

He pulled her to her feet, and they stripped each other in a matter of seconds. Jen groaned her longing as his calloused hands caressed the soft skin of her inner thighs. His head fell to her breasts, and she bucked against him as his mouth enveloped her nipple. He wasn’t gentle, but she wasn’t in the mood for that anyway. She was feverish, almost panicked, to be connected to him again. She wailed in approval as his fingers slipped between her legs, but it took her only a few seconds before that wasn’t enough.

 

“Josh,” she keened, “Josh, now! I’m ready now. I want you.”

 

His mouth latched onto hers, and he slammed her back to the wall in his frenzy. Their kisses grew feral as his tongue plunged into her mouth, and his teeth nipped and sucked on her lips. His near constant moans turned her on even more, and she whimpered her approval.

 

His leg pressed between hers, and he shoved hers apart to settle between them. She hitched her left leg over his hip and screamed his name as he plunged into her.

 

“Oh fuck,” she cursed as she stretched to accommodate his considerable girth. “Fuck me, baby.”

 

Josh groaned her name repeatedly as he thrust into her. His speed increased steadily, and he reached down to grab her free leg and wrap it around him. One of her arms clung to his back while the other grasped his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair. His hands cupped her ass to hold her aloft, and he buried himself in her as deeply as he could. His balls slapped against her as he banged her, which made her even hotter for him.

 

After a particularly hard thrust, her walls tightened around him, and he ripped his mouth from hers. “Jennifer,” he grunted as his forehead fell to her shoulder. She bent her head so her lips touched the shell of his ear and released raspy sighs of desire.

 

Their coupling bordered on hedonistic, it was so wild with desperate passion. As heat built inside her, she murmured in his ear, “I love you, Josh. So, so much. Nothing will ever make me doubt you. I promise I’m here for good. You will always be enough for me.”

 

“Shit, shit, shit,” Josh panted as he rammed into her. “Jennifer… Fuck! Oh, god. I’m so fucking close.”

 

The pictures on the wall shook as he banged into her harder. She felt the muscles in his back and neck flexing as he drove himself faster and deeper. A sheen of moisture lubricated their heated skin. His patch of chest hair tickled her hardened nipples to create a multitude of sensations that drove her crazy.

 

“Harder, Josh. Oh god, don’t stop! Please don’t stop yet!” she implored and rocked her hips into his as hard as she could. He changed the angle of his thrusts, and the tip of his cock hit something inside her at the same time the trail of hair that cradled his shaft massaged her clit. “Oh… Oh, yes. Yes!”

 

Her body pulsed and waves of heat flooded through her. Her head fell against the wall, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she screamed as her orgasm rocketed through her. As soon as the first release ended another began, and she howled in ecstasy. Josh’s pace made him almost blur before her eyes as he held her to the wall with the force of his thrusts. Her legs and arms trembled as her body released a succession of small spasms, and Josh held her tighter.

 

She felt his climax building as hers continued. His abs tensed, and his grunts grew louder and closer together. He slammed into her twice more and blew his load. He spurted into her as her name fell from his lips in a fevered moan. He pressed her to the wall as his body shook and shivered. It felt as if he were emptying his entire soul into her while his cock pumped fluid into her heat.

 

The world whirled around her in a haze of moisture, heat, and shouts of sexual gratification. Josh’s knees buckled, and they slid together into a tangle of sweaty limbs on the cool, polished concrete floor. Their harsh breathing echoed throughout the room as both fought to control their trembling bodies. Two weeks of sexual tension drained from them as Jen cradled his chest against hers.

 

This was where she wanted to be. Nothing else mattered to her. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that the announcement of their relationship was going to be easy, but she didn’t care. Josh was worth it, and she’d fight for him with everything she had.

 

With a chuckle, she mumbled, “Don’t you ever fucking doubt my love for you again after you gave me multiple orgasms.”

 

She expected him to laugh, but he groaned instead. “Can’t move. Can’t talk. Fuck…”

 

“You okay, baby?” She lifted his head from her chest and smiled at the wet hair plastered to his forehead. His eyes sagged from relief, his mouth curved in a lazy, satisfied smirk. He gave a barely perceptible nod and fell forward against her again. He nuzzled against her breasts, and she giggled at his playfulness. “Goofball,” she murmured lovingly and trailed her fingers up and down his damp, muscled back.

 

After several minutes, he finally rolled off her completely and pulled her against him. With a finger under her chin, he turned her so that his lips found hers, and they shared a kiss so deep she felt it in her toes.

 

“I swear I won’t hold back from you anymore,” he promised. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

 

“I forgive you,” she said with a smile. “Not that you were holding back there. Talk about balls to the wall.”

 

He snorted with laughter and sat up before standing and reaching down to pull her to her feet. His hands cupped her jawline, and he looked deeply into her blue eyes. He kissed her softly on the tip of the nose before moving to her forehead and both cheeks. Finally he settled his mouth on her soft lips.

 

“I don’t ever want to fight with you again,” he confessed.

 

“Only if we can have makeup sex like that,” she agreed. She pulled him close against her and pressed her entire body to his. “We leave for press in a few days, baby. Are you ready to tell the world about us?”

 

“One hundred percent, Jennifer. Never been more sure of anything in my life.”

 

“Then take me to bed so we can get all rested up and prepare our strategy.” She waggled her eyebrows at him, and he grinned.

 

“That’s not what we’re going to be doing in bed,” he declared.

 

“Exactly.”

 


	23. Highball

                                                                               

 

“Excuse me, sir.” The flight attendant touches me gently on my shoulder, and I peek an eye open before slipping my headphones from my ears. I raise my eyebrow in question, and she asks, “Can I get you something else to drink?”

 

I’ve been nursing a whiskey on the rocks for the past few hours, but my stomach is a little upset, and I don’t have the heart to finish it. Maybe if I get something with some club soda in it, I can get a little buzz going and make this damn flight go by somewhat faster. If Jen hadn’t insisted that we sit in different rows to hide our relationship for the next 24 hours, I wouldn’t be cursing this trans-Atlantic flight. Instead, we’d be laughing and joking like we always do. I tried to point out that us _not_ sitting together would seem odd to people, but she just pursed her lips at me. To keep the peace, I gave in.

 

“Uh, yeah,” I answer in a slightly hoarse croak. Jen’s kept me busy the past few nights since we made up, and she drives me so crazy that I’ve lost my voice on a couple of occasions. The makeup sex between us was mind-blowing, but it’s only gotten hotter and more frenetic since then. We can’t get enough of each other after those two weeks of unintentional abstinence. If I’m honest with myself, I’ll admit that Jen probably insisted we not sit together so we didn’t end up going at it under a blanket while the rest of the cast, the director, and the producers tried to politely pretend they didn’t notice. Talk about unprofessional.

 

I think for a few moments and finally ask, “Can I get some sort of cocktail with soda water in it?  I’m not sure exactly what but mixed with scotch or whiskey or something brown. Upset stomach.”

 

“Of course, Mr. Hutcherson. How about a highball? Scotch with soda water. It’ll give you a nice warm feeling and ease your stomach at the same time,” she said with a smile.

 

“Sounds perfect. Thank you.”

 

She moves to the next row, and I hear her ask Jeffrey if he needs anything else before I slip the headphones back on and drown out the noise of the plane. I stare at the back of Jen’s head, her blonde hair peeking above the seat five rows in front of me. She’s seated across from Woody, and the two of them seem to be having a grand old time. Must be nice. I’m next to a suit from Lionsgate who fell asleep five minutes after we took off. Not exactly a great conversationalist.

 

Two songs later and the flight attendant places a drink in front of me. “Your highball, sir,” she says, but I can’t hear her. I can only see her mouth move. I nod in thanks and sip the drink. It’s exactly what I needed: smooth, cold, and soothing.

 

As the twist in my stomach eases, I glance at Jen again and see she’s peeking around her chair and looking at me. Her lips curve into an impish smile, and I can’t stop mine from mimicking hers. She makes a show of uncrossing her legs, rustling her long skirt to show her bare skin, and then re-crossing them so that the slit shows up to mid-thigh. She winks at me and then turns back to the front of the plane while I shift in my seat and readjust the chub that just appeared.

 

I swear that woman is trying to kill me. That or make my balls explode from wanting her so much.

 

With a huff of disgust at my lack of control, I pull out a script from my backpack and flip through the first several pages. I brought this one along because it seemed promising when I first saw it, but now I can’t concentrate on anything but that patch of Jen’s skin that taunts me from twelve feet away. What I wouldn’t give to run the tips of my fingers across it and feel her skin quiver beneath me. Or lave it with my tongue until soft whimpers of desire fall from her plump lips.

 

I’m getting way too worked up, so I chug the rest of my drink in hopes that the ice will cool me down  I notice the flight attendant stop at Jen’s row, smile, and nod before making her way to me again. I’m about to order another highball when she slips a crumpled napkin into my hand and adjusts the pillow behind my head. With an almost motherly pat, she caresses my shoulder and moves away.

 

Confused, I smooth the creases from the napkin and see Jen’s scrawl in smudged black ink.

 

_Care to join the Mile High Club with me? Five minutes. The front cabin restroom is reserved for us._

She’s got to be kidding. I’m in disbelief, but I shift my gaze to her and see her wink at me again before rising and sauntering to the front of the cabin and disappearing inside. I see the light that indicates the restroom is occupied turn red and attempt to calm my ragged breathing.

 

The five minutes crawl by so slowly I feel like time’s standing still. I take a deep breath and unbuckle my seatbelt and slip from my seat. No one’s paying attention to me. The entire cast is either sleeping, reading, or listening to music. The only person who seems to be aware of me moving through the cabin is the flight attendant, and she’s incredibly discrete when she slides to the side to let me pass.

 

I knock softly on the bathroom door and hear the lock release. I can only hope the first class restrooms are larger than usual, or we’re going to be in extremely tight quarters. The door slides inward, and I slip inside. Jen perches against the counter with her left leg exposed through the slit of her skirt and… Oh my damn. The smugness on her face is justified because she’s twirling her black, lacy g-string from the tip of her index finger.

 

“Hi,” she says huskily.

 

“H-hey,” I stutter.  “Are those—?  I mean, are you—?”

 

She nods and wraps her arms around my neck. The lacy material grazes my ear as her lips find mine and open to welcome my tongue inside her warmth. Her mouth tastes like heaven, her tongue rough and soft at the same time against mine. The kiss is passionate but controlled, not frantic. It’s stimulating but comforting. I feel complete with her in my embrace.

 

Her arms drop to my back, and her hands grope my body to make contact with my bare skin.  Her fingers trace the curves in my back and torso, and I allow mine to mimic hers. My right hand falls to the slit in her skirt, and a soft mewl of pleasure urges me onward. I allow my fingers to graze her inner thigh and then travel upward until I find her core.

 

She’s bare for me, which makes me moan in surrender. The scrap of fabric she removed falls from her hand to the floor as she tilts her head back and softly whimpers, “Yes.” I nuzzle her neck and breathe in the smell of her. Her skin is supple under my lips, and I trail the tip of my tongue over a pulse point that’s vibrating rapidly.

 

“Jen,” I pant against her neck, “this is dangerous. And so fucking hot.”

 

She doesn’t respond. Instead, she rocks into my hand and fumbles with the button on my jeans. I help her push the denim down past my hips and groan into her mouth when her hand wraps around me. One hand cups me from behind and pulls me into her. She spanks me playfully before shoving me down on the closed toilet and moving in front of me. She gathers her skirt in her hand and straddles me.

 

When she sinks onto me, my eyes close at the feeling on her wetness massaging my cock. She gasps as I fill her. “Josh,” she moans plaintively, “this feels so good.”

 

Her neck stretches before me as her head lolls backward. My hands help guide her up and down, but I want more. The muscles in her thighs bunch with power as she rides me. I grip her hair softly with one hand and pull gently before flipping the strap of her tank top from her left shoulder. I love her penchant for wearing as little as possible as her bare breast spills free.  My mouth opens over it, and I suck and nip at her peak. The dusty pink nipple hardens, and when I pull back, it glistens with moisture.

 

“You are so fucking sexy,” I growl in a hushed tone. “This is so god damn erotic, I don’t know how much longer I can last.”

 

Her cheeks are flushed pink, and her lips are parted from lust. The tip of her tongue flicks in and out as my dick strokes her walls. Her hot breath escapes her, and I notice the condensation on the small mirror. We’re steaming up the small space.

 

Jen’s hushed as she yelps and whimpers, but I can tell she’s bordering on begging for more. I pull her mouth to mine and open over her. I can’t get deep enough as I explore her crevices. It doesn’t take long before I need more, too.

 

“Let’s stand up,” I grunt as she tightens around me.

 

She continues to rock against me and tries to focus on my face. “Huh?” she gasps in confusion.

 

“Stand up, baby,” I tell her and kiss her swollen lips again.

 

I help her stand on her slightly unsteady legs, and I feel a sense of loss when my cock slips out of her. I press her against the door and slide inside her again. Her moan of relief is soft against my ear, and it makes me harder. I pull out and then thrust confidently into her. Her hot breath releases in haggard puffs when our lips free each other’s, but that doesn’t happen often. As frenzied as our coupling was when we made up earlier this week, now it is sensual, erotic, carnal.  It’s slow and deep and so connected, I feel like we’re finally one again.

 

Her hands rest on the door at the sides of her head, and my fingers thread through hers. Hers are limp, but I squeeze hers in time with my strokes. My mouth finds her ear so I can murmur to her. She gasps and shudders as I drive into her, but she’s remarkably quiet for one of our sexual experiences.

 

“Jen, god, you feel so good. You’re so warm and wet and I just…”  My breath catches before I can finish. I gasp for air and then admit, “I just want to fuck you forever.”

 

She doesn’t laugh or make a smartass comment.  Instead, she releases barely perceptible moans and pleas for me to finish her. Her words become incoherent. I can occasionally make out my name, but otherwise, she garbles so badly that all I know is that she’s enjoying herself a lot.

 

As much as I’d like to make this last forever, my hormone-muddled brain remembers we’re on a public plane with a first class cabin filled with our professional friends and acquaintances. We can’t take forever. It’s amazing no one’s interrupted us yet.

 

I buck into her harder and with slightly more purpose. My hips snap against hers, and I feel my sac start to tingle. My cheek presses against hers, and my breath teases her earlobe the same way hers torments mine. She mewls nonsense as my body tightens, and I increase my pace. Just a few more strokes, and I’ll be there.

 

The rush of relief when I spill into her is almost too much. My release bursts from me with a low moan that seems to last forever and fills the small space. My eyes remain unfocused when I hear a voice outside the cabin.

 

“Sir. Sir!” a female tone insists. “You can’t go in there just yet. We’re cleaning it for—  Sir, please wait!”

 

The door to the lavatory rattles, and I realize too late that I either didn’t lock the door or one of our shoulders hit it during my climax. Jen’s still lost in the throes of passion as she attempts to finish getting off, but I’m suddenly paralyzed with fear.

 

“Oh, shit!” I hiss. “Jen! Shit!! Someone’s out there.”

 

I’m not sure which is worse: the fact that I pull out of her just then so I can attempt to straighten my jeans and tuck myself back in or that Jen’s just reared back against the door as she nears her crest. Either way, when Woody tugs the door open, Jen tumbles backward into his arms, and I’m left standing there with my semi-hard cock in my hand.

 

“What the fuck?” Woody exclaims in sheer shock.

 

I can’t speak. I’m mortified beyond comprehension, but I do find the wherewithal to shove my dick back in my pants and hitch them up over my hips. Jen’s eyes flutter open, and it takes her less than a second to assess the situation. Thankfully, the flight attendant had pulled the curtain shut between the work area and passengers, so the only people who saw Jen’s bare breast were Woody and myself.

 

The expletives that burst from her are just below a bellow, and I attempt to shush her before she draws the attention of the entire forward cabin. Unfortunately, I’m embarrassed beyond belief, and I can barely form thoughts, let alone coherent persuasions.

 

We’re saved from complete humiliation when Woody chuckles, and his eyes twinkle. “So you two are finally fucking, huh?” I blanch at his crudeness, and he must realize what he’s just said.  “I mean, you two are together? Finally? Only took you the entire time we filmed to figure it out?”

 

Jen’s managed to straighten herself and readjust her skirt and tank top to cover most of her skin.  Her body’s flushed so red it’s almost purple, and tears of humiliation threaten to spill down her cheeks.

 

“Oh my god,” she whimpers and looks at me in panic.

 

One look of terror from her, and my brain snaps back into action. “Woody,” I beg, “please don’t say anything. Please!”

 

His bright blue eyes flash as he shifts his gaze between us in an attempt to read the situation. I reach for Jen’s hand and pull her into the comfort of my embrace. A shaky tear streams silently down her face, and my heart breaks at the shame there. I could care less if another person witnesses what I say at that point, and I reassure her with a whispered voice directly in her right ear.

 

“Relax, Jen. Relax, honey. I love you. I’m right here.”

 

She turns her wide, tear filled cornflower blue gaze on Woody and states her case. “Please don’t say anything. We’re going to come clean on this press tour. We’ve been planning to for months.”

 

“Months?!” His indignation raises his voice an octave, and she pats him frantically to quiet him.

 

“Shh! We’ve been together for a while—since last spring, but we weren’t ready for everybody to know yet. We’re almost ready to go public. Can you please just not say anything until we have a chance to announce it?”

 

“I can’t fucking believe it! You two…” He points his index finger at me and then wags it back and forth between Jen and me. “You two are an item? Like a real item? Not just friends anymore?” He mutters almost too quietly for us to hear, “Not that you two were ever just friends.  Been in love since you met. Just too stubborn to admit it.”

 

“We’re together,” I admit and pull Jen closer against me and press a soft kiss to her temple.

 

“Well, I’ll be damned!” he cries and then claps his hands. “Congratulations on the sex, you two.”

 

We both flush a deep red since it’s more than obvious what we were doing while we were locked (or not locked as it seems to be) in the bathroom.

 

I manage to stammer through my embarrassment, “You probably need to take a piss, don’t you?”  When he nods, I move to the side and pull Jen with me so Woody can enter the small space we’d just vacated.

 

The door shuts behind him, and I turn to survey her face. Embarrassment, shame, humiliation, and unfulfilled sexual desire all fight for room in her expression, but she seems to have herself under control now. Her tears must have been an overly emotional reaction, which makes sense considering how deeply connected we were before Woody opened the door.

 

“You okay?” I ask with as much tenderness as I can muster. I’m still shaken that we got caught.  She shudders and nods cautiously. She doesn’t yet seem convinced that what just happened is real.

 

“Josh…” she trails into silence after simply uttering my name.

 

I cup her cheek in my palm and beseech her, “Talk to me, baby.”

 

After a few seconds of silence, she finally sputters, “I guess we’ve been outted. No going back now, huh?” I nod again and notice the frantic look in her eyes. Panic threatens to take over if I don’t get her calm.

 

“There’s no going back,” I agree. “But then again, there’s been no going back for me since we first decided to go for it. I’ve been head over heels for you since then. I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops that you’re mine. Of course, we’re way above rooftops up here.”

 

She giggles in such an unladylike way, I choke on my spit. She looks as if she’s just ready to accept that we've been caught in such an intimate act when the door to the bathroom opens again, and Woody emerges.

 

He winks at us both and says, “You guys want to be careful in there. I think someone just joined the Mile High Club.” When we remain quiet, he raises his hand to dangle a black, lacy g-string in front of our faces. “See? So unconcerned if people find evidence of their tryst,” he jokes with a shake of his head.

 

Jen’s face burns anew, and she grabs her underwear to hastily shove it into a small pocket in her long skirt.

 

Woody’s gaze softens under my gaze, and he motions to me. “Why don’t you go back to your seat first? I’ll hang back here with Jen for a second so we don’t all go charging into the cabin together.”

 

With a grateful smile, I nod. Leaning toward her in what I hope is a reassuring way, I kiss her forehead and then slip past the curtain and walk to my seat with my head down. I avoid eye contact with everyone and am relieved to find the Lionsgate executive still sleeping soundly. A few minutes pass before Jen stumbles back to her seat and then Woody joins her in her row.  Neither of them look at me.

 

Ten minutes pass, and she still doesn’t turn to reassure me. I grab the flight attendant on her next pass through the cabin and order another drink.

 

“Another highball, please. I think I’m going to need it.”


	24. Gumballs

                                                                    

Josh woke to the feel of Jen’s fingers trailing down his torso to the cut in his hip. A single slit of sunlight flitted through the crack in the curtains and illuminated the hotel room where they were sleeping. He had to squint his eyes to shut out the day.

 

“Mmm…” he hummed as the featherlike feel of Jen’s index finger trailed his hip bone and inched slowly toward his prominent morning wood. Without opening his eyes, he mumbled, “Better be careful where you’re putting that hand, baby. You might get a wakeup call you’ll never forget.”

 

She chuckled deep in her chest and pressed a kiss on his neck and the curve of his jaw before asking in a husky voice, “Is that a promise?”

 

The left side of his mouth curved upward in a lazy smile, and he peeked open his right eye to look at her. Her short blonde tresses tangled into a wild mess, and the mischief in her sleepy blue eyes made his cock twitch in anticipation.

 

“It is if you want it to be,” he returned gruffly and wiggled his eyebrows at her before closing his eyes again and nuzzling backward into the pillow. He was sure his dark hair stood on end from the night’s sleep and the way Jen had mussed it as they made love the night before.

 

Memories of their coupling flooded his mind as he enjoyed the feel of her soft, warm skin against his. As her hand rubbed his chest gently, he relived the feeling of sinking into her warm heat while her legs clung to his hips and welcomed him deeper into her. He’d braced himself with his elbows and thrust into her by bracing his feet on the bed and pistoning his hips. Their mouths sought each other’s as they whispered soulful professions, and soft moans of desire punctuated the quiet of their hotel suite. They’d made love slowly and built to a climax together that resulted in limp limbs and sated bodies. The missionary position wasn’t usually one of Josh’s favorites, but last night…  Well, last night was enough to change his mind about almost anything.

 

Jen pressed her lips to the pulse point on his neck before asking, “What time are we supposed to be at the photo call?”

 

“Fuck, I don’t know, hon. Is it 10:00?”

 

“What time is it?”

 

He slung his left arm to the bedside table and grabbed for his phone. His eyes were open but blurry, and he blinked several times to clear them. “Ugh,” he groaned, “It's already 8:00. We don’t have very long before I need to leave or we’re going to have another Woody situation on our hands when your team gets here.”

 

Jen muffled her laughter into his neck and reached down to grasp his stiffened shaft. “I think we already have a woody situation, baby.”

 

Laughter bubbled from deep within him, but it got caught in his throat when she stroked him several times and ran the tip of her tongue across his earlobe. “Oh, fuck,” he mumbled as her grasp tightened, and his hips jerked in reflex.

 

Before he could comprehend what was happening, Jen shifted to straddle him and sank onto his erect cock. They both sighed roughly as their bodies connected, and Jen set a rhythm slow enough to milk the sexual tension but fast enough so they could both finish before they had to handle work responsibilities.

 

Her hands pressed against his taut abdomen, and he felt his muscles twitch underneath her palms.  He forced his eyes half-open and watched her perfect, rounded tits bounce as her pussy slapped against him. He moved his hands to her hips to help guide her as she rode him and reveled in the sensation of her walls gripping his length.

 

The pleasure on her face as she drove them toward their releases made his heart hurt because it made her look so incredibly beautiful—vulnerable, wanton, and free. Her mouth slackened and jaw flexed as she rocked into him. The whimper she released every time she sank onto him drove him crazy and heightened the erotic nature of their wakeup call.

 

Josh grunted as his enjoyment built. His hands sought her breasts to rub and mold them, and she quickened her pace. He heard her gasp his name, and he pushed upward to meet her movements to help her reach her peak.

 

“Baby,” she panted. “Yes, yes, yes!”

 

He could tell by the breathiness of her tone that she was almost there. He released her tits so he could fill his hands with her plump ass and drag her forward as she rode him. Her lusty wail assured him he was hitting her clit, and it only took a few more seconds before she shattered over him. Her jaw dropped, and her eyelids fluttered as she came. Seeing her fall apart on top of him drove him to his climax, and he shouted her name as he spurted into her.

 

“Oh, shit!” he huffed as his muscles tensed and released while his orgasm flooded his body with a searing heat. “Jen, baby. God, you feel so fucking good every damn time we fuck.”

 

She fell forward onto his sweaty chest. Her short locks tickled his bare skin as they both gasped harshly. Her warm breath caressed his chest with puffs of air until her pace slowed.

 

Josh tightened his arms around her just as the alarm from his phone split the silence of the room.  They both jerked in surprise until he could stop the noise. He groaned in frustration. “I don’t wanna, Jen. Can’t we just stay in bed together forever and pretend that world out there doesn’t exist?”

 

“Yes,” she said with mock sincerity. “Yes, yes, yes. Forget that responsibility bullshit. Let’s just have sex all day long.”

 

“And this is why I love you,” he chuckled and kissed her forehead.

 

She rolled off him to perch on one elbow and smirked at him. “Wait, you love me for the sex? I totally thought it was for my Oscar worthy acting ability.”

 

He rolled his eyes at her and leaned forward to kiss her softly on the lips. “I have to go,” he said with a hint of regret. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

 

Jen stuck her bottom lip out to give him a full-on platypus face, and he wondered for a split second what would happen if they did chuck it all and stay cuddled in the king sized bed all day.  His phone beeped again just then, and he sighed before turning off the alarm.

 

He slipped from the bed and swung his head from side to side in an attempt to find his clothing.  His underwear hung from a table lamp in the corner of the room, and his t-shirt lay in a crumpled ball on the floor next to the desk. He bent to grab it and shook it before he realized it was inside out. He finally found his jeans and flip-flops in the bathroom. He didn’t really remember much of what happened before they’d ended up in bed together because he’d been pretty tipsy and not in complete control of his faculties, but if the location of his clothes were any indication, they’d had a lot of fun during foreplay.

 

When he was dressed, he crossed to the bed and leaned down to give her an open-mouthed kiss.  “Get your ass up, sexy. You’ve got about five minutes before your team gets here to make you look so good I’ll be pushing down my chub every time I look at you.” At her happy grin, he said, “Don’t tempt me too much, okay?”

 

She stretched her arms and legs like a cat so that her entire naked form strained in front of him.  When his eyes narrowed, she teased, “I can’t promise not to be sexy, Joshy.”

 

“Keep mocking me, Jennifer, and I’ll make sure to show you how that makes me feel tonight when we get back here. Never been so damn happy to spend two nights in one place during a press tour.”

 

“All these promises,” she murmured and bit her bottom lip seductively.

 

He grinned and wiggled his fingers at her in a goodbye as he left the bedroom. She whistled and yelled after him, “Nice ass!” He flipped her the bird, but he was chuckling as he eased into the hallway after checking to make sure no one was around. 

 

Moving as quickly as he could, he crept to the stairwell and descended two floors so he could make his way into his own room. He stripped immediately and crossed to the bathroom to take a hot, steamy shower in hopes of easing his tired muscles. As he washed himself, he fondled and tugged his balls with his soapy hands. Apparently his body needed a second release this morning, and he groaned as an image of a wet, soapy Jen on her knees and sucking his cock floated before his eyes until his jizz hit the shower floor.

 

Fully relieved, Josh emerged from the shower and wrapped a bath sheet around his hips. He toweled his hair and chest with another and stood in front of the fogged bathroom mirror so he could inspect himself. The condensation distorted his face, but that didn’t bother him. His thoughts were much more preoccupied with the fact that today afforded them their chance to out themselves to the press. Today was the day they’d been waiting for since Jen suggested they shoot spitballs at his bedroom wall almost two months prior.

 

He wasn’t sure how it was going to happen. He had no idea which interviewer would break the rules and ask them about their relationship, but he was ready. He wanted the entire world to know that the amazing woman who co-starred with him in movies was also his co-star in real life.

 

An hour later, he entered the lobby and joined the rest of the cast. With their usual silliness and banter, they moved through the door and to the cars waiting to take them to their photo call. Josh quelled his disappointment when Jen and he were directed to different vehicles, so he pulled out his phone and sent her a message.

 

**Only a little longer until everyone knows. You ready?**

He directed his gaze out the window and smiled when she returned his text.

 

**Ever wonder if maybe we should have given our publicists a heads up about this?  This is going to be big, and we didn’t exactly run it by them.**

He frowned at the message. A shiver of fear ran through him at the possibility that she might change her mind, and he’d be caught in limbo again for several more weeks.

 

**Please don’t tell me you want to wait.**

 

He waited for her to confirm or deny and sighed in relief when she assured him she wasn’t planning to wait.

 

**Just preparing for the aftermath. That’s all.**

He settled back into the seat for the rest of the ride when another text came through.

 

**I think I’m going to tell Liz this is happening before we get into the press junket. That okay?**

He stared at the phone for a few minutes in indecision. In some ways, he understood why Jen felt she needed to warn her team, but he also felt a hint of betrayal. It had been her idea to let the spitballs decide, and now she was messing with that decision.

 

**Yeah. Whatever.**

He dropped the phone into his lap and ignored the next two alerts. When the car pulled to a stop, he glanced at the screen to see her confused reaction, but he didn’t feel like dealing with it. He shoved his phone in his pocket and prepared to emerge from the car.

 

“Here we go, man,” he muttered to himself. “Make or break time today.”

 

The door opened, and a wall of high-pitched feminine screams assailed his ears while pops of light flashed in his eyes. He plastered a smile on his face and waved while allowing his team to move him toward the staging area since he could barely see. He spied Liam and Jeffrey, but Jen didn’t seem to be there yet. He joked with them for a bit, and then he saw her.

 

She was breathtakingly gorgeous in a deep blue dress that hugged her curves before billowing into a short, puffy skirt that showcased her lean legs. They seemed to go on forever—especially since they ended at her stiletto clad feet. His mouth watered when he thought about how she enjoyed wrapping those toned legs around him when they got it on. The dress’s neckline plunged and outlined the mounds of her breasts, and he glimpsed an ample amount of skin from the side of the dress. If he stood just so, he might be able to catch a peek of her nipple. He didn’t have time to think about his physical reaction because he was too busy remembering how his hands had felt on her gorgeous tits just a couple of hours before as she rode him to orgasm.

 

“Fuuuuuck…” he mumbled below his breath. He ducked behind Liam and adjusted his junk before the press corps got a money shot of his erection, and that’s what made headlines, not their relationship. He also gave himself a stern internal lecture. He was not here to ogle his girlfriend and contribute to a wardrobe malfunction by brushing aside her clothing. He was here to do his job and to help her do hers.

 

Liam turned to give Josh a sympathetic wink. “Sorry, mate. Looks like you’re going to have a long day,” he said with a chuckle. Neither Jen nor he had ever confirmed Liam’s suspicions on the day they went bowling when they were still shooting in Atlanta that things had changed between them, but it didn’t surprise Josh that his friend understood without being explicitly told that Jen and he were a couple now.

 

The group hugged and posed for hundreds of pictures. It wasn’t until they turned to head to the press junket that Jen hissed in his ear, “Don’t be a little shit. At least tell me if you’re mad.”

 

When they turned the corner, he grabbed her waist to pull her behind the others and afford them a little privacy. He looked up at her, since her heels caused her to tower over him by several inches, and stated as calmly as he could, “Jennifer, I don’t give a shit if you tell your publicist. If you think that’ll help ease us into this, then that’s fine. I’m just fucking tired of waiting. I want people to know, and I want them to know today. I’m tired of hiding how much I love you. Am I being clear?” His voice grew harder as he asked the question, but the look in her eyes indicated she understood his point of view.

 

Her publicist approached at that moment and announced, “Jen, this way. You and Josh aren’t interviewing together today.”

 

“Well, that’s going to be a problem,” she said.

 

“Why?” was Liz’s distracted answer.

 

“Because Josh and I are dating, and we’re ready to let people know.”

 

Liz’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Are you _kidding_ me?”

 

Jen reached over to grab Josh’s hand and squeezed. “No,” she confirmed, “we’re not kidding.”

 

“You tell me this today? Right now? Right as we’re heading into a junket for the most highly anticipated movie of the year? What! The! Hell?!” She glared at both of them for a few seconds and then shook her head. “You two are going to be the death of me. Give me a few minutes. I’ll pull some strings.” As she walked away, she threw over her shoulder, “It’s about damn time, by the way.”

 

“Thanks, Liz!” Jen called after her with false bravado.

 

Josh and she stood awkwardly for a few minutes until Liz returned. “You’re up to interview together. We all know someone will ask. When it happens, tell them. Josh, I’ll talk to your team today. We’ll get our responses ready. Next time, a heads up would be appreciated.”

 

His gut twisted a little with a wave of guilt, but he nodded and walked into the hotel with his hand on the small of Jen’s back and into a blur of interviews.

 

They were three hours into the day when it finally happened. He vaguely remembered the interviewer from _Catching Fire_ press because she’d brought them candy bracelets. This time she presented them both with quarter sized gumballs and suggested she conduct the interview with the gum in their mouths to make it more memorable. It was an absurd request, but they were both so bored they agreed.

 

The first few questions were standard: How much fun was it? What will you miss the most?  What was the best part of filming? Blah, blah, blah. He’d lost track of the number of times he’d answered the same question. But then she asked something different.

 

“So, last year you two were obviously close, but it seems like something’s shifted a little bit over the past twelve months. Anything changed between you two? Any sparks now that you’re not working together anymore?”

 

“Yesth!” Jen exclaimed around the gumball and then garbled several more words.  “Ee’weh ehtig ow!”

 

“What?” the interviewer asked in obvious confusion.

 

Jen repeated her sentence with such ridiculous enunciation that Josh got tickled, and he started to laugh. He laughed so hard he choked on his gumball and then coughed so hard tears leaked down his cheeks when he tried to regain his breath. Jen slapped him on the back so hard the gumball shot across the room and pinged against a camera tripod before bouncing to a stop in the corner.

 

When he could breathe again, he looked directly into the camera and stated, “Yes, something has changed between us since last year. Jennifer and I decided we’d rather be together than apart.  We’ve been dating for a few months and figured we might as well share that so we can try to lead as normal lives as possible instead of trying to hide it from the press.”

 

It was clear the interviewer wasn’t sure what to say. She’d just received the scoop of a lifetime, so it was imperative she make short work of the rest of the interview and post a story as soon as possible before other news sources got wind of their relationship. She thanked them profusely and practically sprinted from the room.

 

They sat together quietly holding hands as they waited for the next member of the press corps to enter. Now that they’d admitted their relationship, all they could do was wait for the aftermath.

 

It took exactly three minutes. Liz poked her head in the door and announced, “It’s done. The news is all over the web. I hope you’re ready for this.”

 

Jen blew a bubble from the gumball she’d been given and grinned as Josh poked it with his index finger. It popped and the sticky residue stuck to her chin. When she smacked him on the shoulder, he admitted, “I hope we are, too.”

 


	25. Blue Balls

                                                                 

 

“Are you coming home with me tonight, baby?”

 

God, that voice does things to me. Serious, mind-blowing, intense things that I can’t share in polite company—but then again, no one ever accused me of having a filter. I lean my head against the backseat and glance sideways at my boyfriend with a loving smile.

 

 _My boyfriend_. I love the sound of it. Not my secret boyfriend, but my boyfriend. My out-in-the-open, we’re-together-and-not-hiding-it-from-the-press boyfriend. The man I love. It’s enough to make me giddy.

 

We’ve just finished our LA premiere, which was amazing and nuts and wonderful and exhausting and every other descriptor I can name, and are headed away from the venue. Where we’re going hasn’t been decided yet, but the look on his face makes me pretty sure it’s going to be the same place.

 

“Mmm… What if I do? Are you going to make it worth my while?” I ask in a husky voice.

 

“Always,” he promises.

 

“Well, in that case, I guess I can sleep in your shack instead of my mansion. I mean, who only has a two million dollar home if you’re a movie star? And only a couple thousand square feet? Step up your game, Josh!” I joke and lean over to kiss him. His tongue slips between my teeth, and I feel my toes curl inside my incredibly uncomfortable shoes. They are objects of torture, and it’s a little irritating that Josh gets to wear comfy shoes, if not comfortable clothing. That tie of his can’t be nearly as awful as having my boobs taped into place in a backless dress like I’ve had to do for a number of events.

 

That gives me an idea about how to get back at that smug bastard, and it’s going to be so incredibly rewarding for both of us by the time it’s done. I think I’m going to get that ass drunk and tease him until he’s begging me to make him come. I’m going to get him drunk on Blue Balls and then give them to him before I blow his damn mind, and he can’t remember his own name.

 

I let the driver know our destination and then close the privacy screen before returning my mouth to his. His hands find their way to patches of my bare skin, and one of mine cups his crotch. I squeeze him lightly. A strangled groan catches in his throat, and I slow my fingers to stroke him in a very deliberate way.

 

“Jennifer,” he gasps as I trace the edge of his shaft.

 

“What, baby?” I purr and leisurely kiss his jawline from one ear to the other.

 

“So sexy,” he moans and lets me go so he can loosen his tie and release the top two buttons of his shirt. I reward him by nuzzling his neck and sucking on his collarbone. It’s almost stunning how quickly he hardens under my hand as my lips caress his chest.

 

His hand gropes my chest frantically, but I shift away from him slightly. He pulls back with a quizzical look. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, Joshy,” I whisper seductively. “I just want to take my time tonight. I want to drive you crazy. Maybe for hours.”

 

His eyes close in longing, and he shakes his head against the car seat. “Excuse me for a second, Jen.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. I’m just giving thanks to the gods for having a girlfriend that gets my cock so fucking hard and knows exactly what to do with it once she does.”

 

I unzip his pants and tuck my hand inside. I wrap my hand around him and tug. When he grunts, I whisper into his ear with heated breath, “Thank god for me.”

 

His expression is a mix of sexual bliss and tension, which is exactly where I want him. I glance out the window and see we’re fairly close to his place, so I better work quickly. I jerk him a few more times and then fondle his balls. He strains so hard, I’m afraid he’s going to pull a muscle in his neck. It’s clear he’s close but not to his climax yet. With my free hand, I pull his hand until he plunges it under my skirt. He trails kisses down my neck and bites lightly when his middle finger burrows into my arousal. I yank him harder, and his hips buck upward slightly.

 

He’s just starting to make those throaty groans that indicate he’s close to his orgasm when the car slows and approaches his gate. I run the pad of my thumb across the tip of his dick and grin at the moisture accumulated there.

 

“Stop, hon,” I order in a quiet but firm voice. “We’re at your house. We’ve got to get out.” His facial expression shows bewilderment and intense disappointment when he realizes I’ve removed my hand from his crotch. It takes several seconds before his eyes clear, but he gets it together fairly quickly considering he was almost over the brink.

 

We stumble into the house with our arms locked around each other. His hand is tucked inside the back of my dress and is practically latched onto my backside. Before he can strip me, I turn to him as soon as the door’s closed behind us and say, “I need some drinks, and I have just the one for tonight.” Leaving him with his prominent bulge still very much stiff and tenting his pants, I cross to his liquor cabinet and pull bottles from his alcohol collection.

 

“What are you making?” he queries as he enters the room behind me. It’s clear he’s a little uncomfortable as his erection is trapped inside his suit pants and probably rubbing like crazy.

 

“Oh, it’s a new drink my sister-in-law told me about. Shots, actually.”

 

“Shots work. Does it have a name?”

 

“The best drink name ever,” I smirk and turn to face him with two shot glasses full of a light blue liquid. “Here, drink up! To us not having to hide how much we love each other anymore.”

 

“Hear, hear!” he agrees softly.

 

We clink glasses and toss the liquid back. He licks his lips in appreciation. “Oh, that’s good. What’s in it? He picks each bottle up and sets it down in turn. Coconut rum, blue curacao, peach schnapps, sweet and sour, and Sprite? Nice. What did you say the name of it was?”

 

“Blue Balls.”

 

He tenses and looks at me with an apprehensive air. “Uh, that’s a, uh, ah… Well, it’s an _interesting_ name.”

 

“Extremely,” I murmur. I hand him another shot and smile when he shoots it. Shrugging from my dress, I allow it to pool on the rug at my feet and step out of my shoes. I’m standing in nothing but a royal blue thong and powder blue pasties when Josh glances at me again.

 

“Holy fuck,” he whimpers when he focuses on me. “Jesus, Jennifer! Give me some warning.”

 

I trace my lips with the tip of my tongue and turn my back on him to mix another set of Blue Balls. He moves behind me, and I feel the scratch of his suit against the skin on my back. His hard dick pokes into my ass cheeks, and his arms wrap around me so that his right hand slips into my panties and the moisture there.

 

“Yesssssss…” The moan rips from me, and Josh pushes his hips into mine.

 

“Jen, I need you,” he says in a haggard voice, but I’m so sold on the idea of driving him to the brink repeatedly that I have no intention of giving in so soon.

 

I turn to face him and wrap my arms around his neck. Pulling him to me firmly, I duel my tongue with his. He reaches up to fondle my left breast and pull the pasty off to expose my nipple. Just as he pushes into me harder, I rip my mouth free and lean my forehead against his.

 

My lips tremble only millimeters from his when I whisper in a plaintive tone, “Josh, can I ask a favor?” I play up my timidity, but I’m not lying when I say, “It’s been a while since we did, uh… I mean, you haven’t really…”

 

“What?” he demands roughly and tries to fuse our mouths together again. I give him a short kiss and then pull away.

 

“Well, I mean, I understand if you don’t want to, but I love it so much, and it’s been so long, baby.”

 

“What?” he snaps. His body is rigid with want in my arms, and his poor dick is so ramrod straight it should be saluting.

 

I gulp with exaggerated nervousness and ask, “Will you, uh… Will you go down on me? It feels like it’s been forever.”

 

His eyes roll back in his head, and he groans his willingness. He pulls the mixer from the bar and chugs half of the shots I made but haven’t poured into the shot glasses. “You want the rest?” he asks, and I nod before emptying the container. My lips are already tingling, and I can only imagine how it will feel to eat me out when his mouth is half-numb.

 

He pulls me roughly to the couch and sheds his jacket on the way. “Put your head on the arm and lay down for me,” he tells me. When I’ve done what he asks, he spreads my legs and lies down on his stomach with his face inches from my crotch. “So fucking sexy,” he murmurs as he flicks my thong to the side and dips his fingers inside my slit. My eyes flutter closed right before Josh slips the tip of his tongue into my heat. Bursts of light explode behind my closed eyelids.

 

I thread my fingers through his hair and pull him into me. His mouth feels so damn amazing, I can’t believe I went so long before asking for this again or having him offering either. Josh is the most generous lover I’ve ever had, and his talent in the oral department is worthy of a book of sonnets as far as I’m concerned. We’ve been so busy we’ve had to cut down on foreplay and get right to it. I make a silent vow not to let that happen again anytime soon.

 

Josh takes his time. His mouth is gentle, rough, and demanding in different intervals. His tongue alternately licks, wiggles, and thrusts depending on my vocal reaction. The tip of his nose nuzzles my clit while his fingers explore me intimately. After what seems like hours, I can’t hold back anymore. I press my right heel into the couch cushions to thrust upward and lock my left leg over the back of the couch to gain leverage. My hips buck into his face frantically, and I release a stream of curses that vocalize how amazing he makes me feel.

 

A broken moan rips from deep inside me, and a wave of moisture spurts onto Josh’s face and tongue. He grunts softly as he’s covered and nestles deeper into my heat. I’m practically thrashing under him, but he holds me steady enough to keep his mouth on me. Before he lets go, he tilts his head slightly to reach a different angle. Unable to resist, I clamp my thighs together against his head and pulse my hips against his tongue to relieve the pressure.

 

I shake and tremble under him as he laves me with the flat of his tongue. The intensity of my orgasm shocks me, but the twinges and spasms that continue after the initial wave are more mind-blowing because they just keep coming. I whimper and plead with him to finish me, and somehow the idea of teasing him just doesn’t seem right anymore. Unfortunately, now I’m not sure I have the energy to finish _him_.

 

My arms and legs feel like overcooked noodles when Josh pries my thighs open to free his head. My right arm and leg fall from the couch so that my toes and fingers graze the soft rug. I couldn’t move right now if I tried.

 

“How was that?” Josh asks in a hushed tone. His face is covered in moisture from his nose down, and I swear it’s one of the most erotic things I’ve ever witnessed to have my orgasm smeared across his face.

 

I reach for him with my left hand and guide him up my torso so I can kiss him. His hard body settles on mine as my tongue flicks over his chin. I can taste myself on him which makes his own flavor even more enticing. His shaft is so hard it feels like a boulder against my thigh, so I shift him until he settles squarely between my legs.

 

“Jennifer,” he groans and bucks against me.

 

“Oh, shit!” I cry. I just came harder than I thought possible, but his cloth covered erection pressing into the wetness between my legs makes me want to again. “Josh, your suit,” I mumble as the moisture from his face covers mine. I’m so wound up, I can barely remember my name, which is ironic since my plan was to make him forget his. I’m not sure why my mind registers that my orgasm is smeared across his pants now, too.

 

“Fuck my suit,” he growls and rubs against me harder.

 

“Oh, god. Yes, baby. Keep going. Oh, fuck me,” I sob. It feels so good I swear electrical currents are shooting through me and making every inch of my body tingle.

 

He shifts so he can free himself from his pants, and his cock springs free. He rubs the head against my clit before pushing into me. I scream his name when he does, and he releases a guttural moan that makes my body shake under him. He fills me so tightly, I feel like I’m a balloon that’s only a couple of puffs of air away from popping. A rush of heat scorches my insides, and it’s then that I realize I have to pee.

 

I don’t want to stop him. There’s something so incredibly sensual about me being naked under him except for a pasty covering one nipple and a thong that’s been stretched so much to expose my sex that it’ll never be fit for use again. The fact that he’s still clothed in a rumpled but mostly buttoned dress shirt with the tie under the collar and dress pants that cover everything but his buried cock makes it even hotter. It feels almost clandestine, like we’re trying to finish before someone bursts in on us and catches us in the act. Again…

 

Josh is chanting my name as he draws out and plunges in another time. Each thrust is accompanied by a sound I can’t describe except to say it’s sexually primal, almost animalistic. His hips jerk in uneven spasms, and I can tell he’s close. Unfortunately, my body can’t take anymore. My bladder is going to burst if I don’t relieve myself.

 

“Josh,” I pant frantically, “I have to pee.”

 

My words obviously don’t register through the haze of his arousal. I have to shake him to get him to focus his eyes on my face. “What?” he asks in such a wistful tone, it almost breaks my heart to have to stop him. I’ll have to make it up to him.

 

“I have to pee. Right now. So bad it hurts.”

 

“Are you shitting me?” He sounds so hopeful that I’m just teasing I wish I could control it, but I can’t.

 

“I have to go or I’m going to piss all over you and your couch. I know you’re into some kinky shit, but I don’t think golden showers is one of them.”

 

He groans so pathetically it’s pitiful, but I ache so much I’m almost burning—and not in a good way. He pulls out, and the pressure instantly eases, but not enough to wait any longer. I shove him off me and sprint to his bathroom. The relief is so intense, I almost cry.

 

I leave the thong in a crumpled ball on the floor at the base of the sink and wash my hands hastily so I can get back to him. I had planned in the car to give him blue balls, but it’s cruel to leave him in such a state.

 

When I re-enter the living room, Josh is sprawled on the couch right where I left him. His cock still stands at attention and is practically pulsing from lack of fulfillment. The ridges and blood vessels are so swollen, they look bruised. He’s got tears of frustration in his eyes when he opens them to look at me.

 

“Oh, Joshy,” I whisper in a shattered voice. “What’s wrong?”

 

He can barely speak when he wails, “I’m so close it hurts. My balls ache so bad, I almost jacked myself off, but I wanted to finish with you.”

 

I cross the room in three strides and grab his waistband to pull his pants down. As I straddle him, I fumble with the buttons so I can feel his skin against me. Frustrated, I rip the bottom two buttons from the shirt and shove it from his shoulders. I attach my mouth to his in a searing kiss and sink onto him. My legs cradle his; my knees press against the back of the couch. His head is tilted back, and his mouth opens under mine when I move, undulating my hips above him.

 

As close as he was before I stopped him, I know the break in action short-circuited his sex drive. He has to rebuild all that stimulation in order to find relief. What should be frantic instead becomes slow, sensual, and carnal.

 

His lips trail to my chest and latch onto my exposed nipple. His hands trace the contours of my back and caress my muscles as they tremor. The feel of his skin on mine makes me grateful to be alive because it's so good. I duck my head so I can murmur into this ear what he’s doing to me. My lips brush his lobe, and my warm breath makes him shiver as do the naughty things I say to him. His hands drop from my back to squeeze my ass so hard it hurts, which feels incredible in this situation. His biceps strain as he helps me slide up and down his cock. He’s so turned on, he grunts in time with my pace.

 

“I’m almost there again,” he keens frantically after I ride him for a few minutes. “Please don’t stop this time.”

 

“I won’t, baby,” I pant. I ride him so hard my thigh muscles burn, and heat sparks inside me again. How it’s possible to be this close to another orgasm in such a short time is beyond me, but the sheer girth and rigidity of his shaft is a major contributing factor, I’m sure.

 

I can hear my skin slapping against his lap and the way my arousal coats his cock as he slides in and out. We’re both moaning in rhythm to our strokes. I hear a shuffle from the hallway and tense, but Josh pulls my attention back to him with a sharp bark of my name.

 

“We’re not fucking stopping, Jennifer. I don’t give a shit who it is. I’m about to blow,” he says through gritted teeth. Just then Driver rounds the corner, and we probably traumatize the poor thing because break together.

 

Josh’s cry of release sounds like a moan of pain, and mine is so high-pitched I don’t recognize my own voice. I writhe against him completely out of control, and he spurts thick spirals of heat into me until he’s empty. Driver yelps and turns on his heels to run from the room as our shouts of ecstasy fill the space.

 

It’s several minutes before either of us can move. Josh’s breathing is labored and mine rasps in my chest. I shift only when he pulls my head so my hair isn’t covering his mouth. Several minutes pass as we calm together, and then I realize how cold I am. My back is freezing, but my front is warmed by his feverish skin.

 

“Goddamn,” he blurts when his voice returns. “We scared the shit out of my dog.”

 

“Thank god that wasn’t our kid,” I return in amusement. “Can you even imagine?”

 

He hesitates before answering. “I _can_ imagine,” he says with such sincerity that I’m terrified. We’ve been dating less than a year, and he’s already imagining babies together?

 

It’s clear he feels my tension, and he murmurs soothingly, “In time, Jen. Not now. It’s okay.”

 

I lock my blue eyes onto his hazel ones and relax when I see the tenderness there. I’m still shaken, though, so I decide to lighten the mood.

 

“You want some more Blue Balls, baby?” I pull his dress shirt from behind him and slip my arms through the holes.

 

He grins at me with that half-crooked smile that makes me giddy with happiness and asks, “The drink, right?  I’ll take more of the drink. My other balls need to recover.”

 

With the help of a few more shots, a few hours, and a massage from me, they do recover, and we enjoy one more passionate act before we fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. In sleep we’re blissfully unaware of the Hollywood press corps and the premiere stories that await us the next day.

 


	26. Balls of Fury

                                                                   

I wake late the next morning to an empty bed and a sense of foreboding. Josh isn’t next to me, which he always is when we spend the night together, and his side of the bed is cold, which indicates he’s been up for some time. I reach for my phone and stumble to the bathroom to relieve myself. It’s a good thing I’m sitting down when I finally glance at my screen because it’s full of messages.

 

I scroll through them slowly and with growing unease. It doesn’t take long to figure out why Josh wasn’t still in bed when I woke up. I guess we’ve been living in a dream world since London, but we’ve awoken to a nightmare. The press is finally taking our relationship seriously, and it’s not exactly pretty.

 

I have to find Josh.

 

As quickly as I can, I ready myself for the day and bolt from the bathroom. I wouldn’t have even bothered to brush my teeth and wash my face if I didn’t think Josh would want to be reassured about my love for him when I'm not looking like a hobo. He loves me regardless, but I want to look presentable when I try to calm him down.

 

When I enter the hall, I hear an unfamiliar but repetitive sound. Repeated thwacks of something plastic hitting a surface time after time echoes quietly through the empty house. I follow the sound with a sense of foreboding.

 

Josh doesn’t lose his cool often, but when he does, it’s ugly.

 

I see Driver lying at the end of the hallway with his head on his front paws and a forlorn look on his face. He’s facing what Josh refers to as his game room, so the noise makes a little more sense now.

 

I round the corner and reach down to scratch Driver between his ears before leaning against the doorjamb. Josh has his back to me, and it’s clear he’s agitated. In fact, it’s more likely that he’s infuriated. He’s folded the ping-pong table so that he can play with no opponent and has a bowl full of balls from which he plucks a new one every time he misses. His right shoulder blade flexes under his so-thin-I-can-practically-see-through-it t-shirt as he hits ball after ball against the other side. At least half a dozen ping-pong balls litter the floor when they escape his reach.

 

He mutters under his breath, but every so often he smashes a shot against the table so hard the ball cracks. When he’s done that to two balls in a row, he screams, “Fuck!” in such a frustrated voice that I jump in shock. He stops then, throws his paddle at the wall, and slams both his palms down on the table. His shoulders slump in despair, and I can’t hold back any longer.

 

“You’re being kind of hard on your balls, aren’t you?” I say in a wry tone. I don’t even get a chuckle out of him. That’s how upset he is, and I realize then I’m going to have to tread extremely carefully. I step behind him and gingerly wrap my arms around him and clasp my hands against his chest. I can feel him practically vibrate with anger when I press my cheek to his shoulder.

 

“I love you,” I say softly.

 

He takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to control his rage, but it doesn’t seem to help much. He’s still rigid against me, but he does answer in hoarse whisper, “I love you too,” before his voice catches.

 

“Do you want to talk about it, Joshy?” I ask cautiously. I don’t know exactly what will make him feel better. He’s on edge in a way I’ve never seen, and I want to be sensitive to that. My tendency would be to try to tease him out of his mood, but that doesn’t seem to be the best option right now. First I want to try to get him to talk about it, but I have a very bad feeling that’s not going to work. My next choice is to seduce the hell out of him in order to remind him how insanely crazy I am about him.

 

Because I am. I love him more than I ever thought I could, and it’s terrifying and wonderful and everything that’s right in the world.

 

He bites his refusal through clenched teeth, and I squeeze him tightly. I move my hands to his arms and graze my palms over his corded muscles. I press my lips to the back of his neck and caress his warm skin until he emits a soft grunt.

 

“Are you sure?” I murmur and swirl the tip of my tongue over a small patch of his skin. He tastes amazing, which is perplexing since we spent last night at the premiere and then came back here to drink and fuck. If I’d known how incredibly cruel the press was going to be to him overnight, I would never had pushed him to the brink so many times before falling off with him. The memory of his throbbing erection last night and the tears of frustration in his eyes makes me feel horrible.

 

“Jennifer,” he says is a strained voice, “Why the _fuck_ would I want to discuss something that’s going to piss me off more than I already am?”

 

“So you can get it out,” I respond and accompany it with a soft butterfly kiss below his ear.

 

When he doesn’t respond, I push my hips against his firm backside and add, “So I can agree with you about how ridiculous it is.”

 

He remains silent, so I grow a little bolder and trail my hand to the front of his athletic shorts and squeeze him lightly. “So I can help you work out some aggression.”

 

Without warning he smacks the ball of ping pong balls so hard it whizzes off the table and slams against the wall before falling to the floor. The balls scatter everywhere, and I jump back from him. In seconds, he’s pacing the room, his face livid.

 

“It’s _bullshit_!” he yells. “Every single fucking thing I was worried about is what happened, Jennifer. Every single damn thing!”

 

“Josh—” I begin, but he’s too wound up to listen yet. He flails his arms and stomps from one side of the room to another as he screams profanities and curses about the words the press wrote about him.

 

“I expected the short comments. I mean, it’s fucking horseshit, but at least I knew that was coming. I can’t do anything about that, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss me off every time I have to walk the red carpet with you in five-goddamn-inch heels!” I flinch, but I know he’s venting and not directing the words at me.

 

“And yeah… You’re damn talented, Jen. Amazing. Fucking off the charts brilliant at it, but I think I can hold my own. It’s not like I’m complete shit, or I wouldn’t have gotten any parts over the past decade. But now I'm just a ‘B-list place holder until your A-list equal’ shows up? Fuckers!”

 

“I agree,” I say firmly, but he’s still too fired up to hear me.

 

“But—” he sputters in such anger he can barely pronounce words, “But those ASSHOLES saying I’m too fucking nice? I’m not that fucking nice! I’ll show those god damn fucking shithead bastards nice!”

 

I have to clap my hand over my mouth to stop from laughing. It’s not funny, but he is so worked up that I can’t help but admire his passion. The fact that he used five different curse words in the same sentence to describe his critics means he’s beyond anger.

 

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” he growls at me in irritation and advances on me. “You think having your boyfriend described as ‘so nice he’s a precious poodle’ is hilarious?” His eyes narrow as his jaw clenches and unclenches, and I can’t help but glance downward. He’s worked up and not just emotionally. He’s not fully erect, but there’s a sizeable thickness hiding under his athletic wear.

 

I don’t back down from his stare. Instead, I argue, “I don’t think you’re that nice.”

 

“Fuck you, Jennifer,” he hisses. “I don’t need your sarcasm right now.”

 

“Alright, that’s it!” I snap and jab my finger in his chest. “You shut your mouth and listen to me.”

 

He’s glaring at me so hard I can practically feel the daggers, but I know behind that massive façade of anger is a hurt so deep he can barely function. The problem is that I’m on his side. I think the stories are ridiculous, too. Sure, Josh is a sweetheart, but he’s far from being so nice he’s a wimp. Josh is incredibly masculine but in such a genuinely kind way that sometimes people misconstrue his good manners and easy-going nature for weakness. My boyfriend is not weak. Not in any way.

 

“I don’t think you’re that nice, but that’s not an insult. In fact…” I move my body against his and trail my hand down his torso to find the smooth patch of skin just about his waistband. “In fact,” I repeat, “I think you’re just a tiny, tiny bit bad.”

 

Josh’s eyes darken at my words and the feeling of my fingers slipping under his waistband and tracing the cut in his hips. “Jen,” he growls in a predatory tone.

 

I lick my lips and look at him from hooded eyes. “Yes, Joshy?” My tone is so innocent and pure, I barely sound like myself.

 

“You better watch it,” he warns, “or I’m going to show you just how not good I am.”

 

“Don’t tease,” I taunt and shimmy my sweats down my hips. As the heavy cotton pools at my feet, I grab his dick and give it a hard squeeze. I can feel the blood rush to it, and it grows in my hand.

 

“Shit,” he gasps, and I smile at him with a hint of arrogance.

 

“Why don’t you show me just how not nice you are, baby?” I tug his shorts down with one hand, and his cock bounces free and up against his pelvis.

 

“Those fucking assholes, Jen,” he pants with pain in his eyes.

 

I nod and fondle his balls, “Show them they’re not right, Josh. You’re not that nice. Sure, you’re respectful of people, but you know how to show them who’s boss, right, baby?”

 

“Damn right,” he grunts and pulls me up against him hard. His mouth crushes mine as his tongue thrusts into my mouth roughly.

 

I moan when he pushes his hand in between my legs and wastes no time stimulating my clit. He’s not gentle. His fingers are rough and blunt, and he’s not trying to build tension. His movements are rough and insanely intense. I bite my lower lip and try not to mewl too loudly.

 

“You like that, Jennifer? You like it when I get you off really hard?” His voice is low, dangerous, and sexy as hell. I whimper my approval and open my legs a little wider. When I do, he shoves his middle finger inside me and begins thrusting in time with his tongue.

 

“I want you,” I moan through our kisses because seeing him like this is unbelievably erotic. His eyes flash with anger, and there’s a hint of cockiness to him that shades his usual mild-mannered nature.

 

“Yeah?” he snarls. “You want my cock inside you, baby? You want me to make you come all over me?” His left hand pinches my nipples while his right attacks my pussy. He’s so masculine in that moment, so sure of what he wants and still completely incensed, that all I want is for him to take charge and find himself again.

 

“Please,” I gasp. He spins and pushes me so that I’m bent over at the waist against the ping-pong table before slamming into me from behind. I wail so loudly it echoes off the walls; it feels damn amazing. It’s been a while since he's taken me this way, and I love it. Josh is an amazing lover, gentle, inventive, playful, but when he gets a little rough, it’s damn sexy. We both get off on driving the other wild, and this is definitely doing it for me today.

 

“You like that?” he growls through clenched teeth and sets a furious pace. The table bucks beneath us and shakes as he pounds into me. I close my eyes and enjoy the feelings he’s provoking. His cock fills me repeatedly, but he hasn’t given up on working my clit either. His finger is vibrating it’s moving so fast, and the ridges on his shaft rub my walls until I begin to see flashes of color behind my eyelids.

 

He grunts and groans as he thrusts into me, and I moan when I feel heat coiling in my stomach and spreading downward. He’s bent over me as he pounds his hips against my ass, and I realize he’s not swearing at the press anymore. Instead, he’s chanting my name into my ear. He can’t be too far from exploding since he was enraged when I walked in. I’ve never seen him so worked up about anything before.

 

“Fucking hell. Yes!” he howls and slams into me again. Heat shoots from him into me, and I flex my walls to welcome it. His cries of release are so intense that I can’t help but be turned on by them. I reach down to intertwine my fingers with his, and together we stimulate my nub until my body convulses beneath his.

 

He slams into me several more times while we climax together, and then he stops suddenly so that I can feel him trembling on top of me. He pulls out and sinks to the floor, and I join him quickly since I can barely stand up. When I hear him sniffle, I pull him into me and cradle his head against my chest. His face nuzzles the soft cotton of my tank top, while I stroke his hair.

 

“I’m so mad,” Josh admits in a broken sob.

 

“I know,” I croon sympathetically and rock him gently. “I could tell you were furious when I walked in.”

 

“Everything I was scared about— Every single thing I was afraid they’d say, they said.” The hurt is palpable in his voice, and that pain makes me pull him tighter against me.

 

“But I’m still here,” I murmur. “They can’t drive me off, Josh. Never. I love you. You know that.”

 

“What if it gets to be too much?” he asks with so much fearful insecurity my heart breaks a little.

 

“Nothing will ever be too much for me if you’re with me. Let them say what they want about you. I’m just planning to prove them wrong. Go on a zillion dates with you and have lots of hot sex and be one of those Hollywood couples that makes it and proves them all wrong.” I kiss the top of his head and declare, “I’m yours, Josh. Not going anywhere—no matter your height or how well your career’s going or how nice or not nice you are. I’m here for the long haul.”

 

Josh’s mouth closes over my lips in a searing kiss that tastes like pure relief. His anger ebbs and in its wake, peace spreads through him. I can feel it happening as his body relaxes against me.

 

He breaks the kiss and looks at me sheepishly. “Sorry I was so pissy.”

 

“It’s okay,” I reassure him with a soft kiss on his lips. “I was more worried about the balls. You should make that a game, by the way. Furious balls?”

 

“Furious balls?” he asks with a laugh. “You mean like Peeta’s furious biscuits?” Remembering him say that in an interview once still makes me laugh because it sounded so much dirtier than it was. He shakes his head at me and suggests, “Why don’t we call it Balls of Fury? You know, after the movie?”

 

“There’s a movie?” I gasp in shock. “There’s a movie about balls, and we haven’t watched it yet?”

 

Mild manners and energy restored, Josh springs to his feet and pulls me up with him. He glances around for our pants and tosses my sweats to me before pulling me down the hall to the deck with his entertainment center. “Put your pants on, Jennifer. No distractions during this cinematic work of art.”

 

He pulls the remote from a compartment and flicks through several screens of menus before landing on one that has the movie for rent. The excitement on his face is a welcome change from the anger, frustration, and hurt he reflected just a few minutes before.

 

“What’s the movie about, hon?” I ask gently because I’m so grateful he feels better. It breaks my heart to see him in pain.

 

His eyes sparkle and his hands flail animatedly as he explains, “Oh my god, Jen! It’s amazing! Horrible and amazing. There’s this guy, and he’s a ping-pong star, and he gets caught up in a Chinese mafia thing and has to end up playing in a ping-pong tournament. If he doesn’t win, he gets electrocuted, and there’s explosions and fighting and—” He breaks off and looks at me sheepishly. “It may not be the best script in the world.”

 

I chuckle and shake my head. “Doesn’t matter, Joshy. If you love it, I’m sure I’ll love it. Our taste in TV is questionable anyway. Why not add movies to the list?”

 

Josh grabs my hand and pulls me into a heap with him on the couch. He lands a smacking kiss on my cheek and promises, “We make it halfway through, and I’ll order a pizza and ply you with M&Ms and gummy bears for lunch.”

 

“Deal!” I agree enthusiastically.

 

I settle my back against the arm of the sofa and drape my legs over Josh’s lap. He slumps down until his head hits the back of the couch and wraps his hands around my calves to hold them. His thumb rubs against my shin as he points the remote at the TV and presses play.

 

“Joshy,” I utter softly.

 

“Hmm?” he grunts distractedly.

 

“Are you really okay?”

 

He glances at me and pushes the pause button before answering. “I’m still mad,” he admits, “and I probably will be for a long time. I hate that I can’t be worthy of you in the media’s eyes, but that doesn’t matter to me nearly as much when I remember that you don’t care what they have to say.”

 

“I don’t. I swear I don’t,” I proclaim vehemently.

 

“I know, sweetheart,” he whispers and leans sideways to kiss me softly and with an inordinate amount of tenderness. “Thank you for being you, Jennifer. For your loyalty and your sense of humor and your honesty and sense of self. I’ll never take for granted how lucky I am.”

 

A smile breaks across my face at his profession. “I still think I’m the lucky one. Who else has a boyfriend with furious balls?” I tease him with a wink. His bark of laughter eases any trace of residual tension from the room, and he seems back to his usual good spirits.

 

“Just you wait, sexy. I’ll show you balls of fury later tonight.”

 

I reach for his hand and thread my fingers through his. Anchored together by touch, we allow ourselves to sink into the preposterous world of _Balls of Fury_ and forget the madness of our own.

 


	27. Amazeballs

                                                                   

 

“Hey, baby,” Josh murmured against Jen’s hair.

 

“Mmm…” she hummed in the back of her throat. She struggled to open her eyes and then gave up. She was too tired to bother, and her ears worked whether or not she could see.

 

He trailed his lips across her face and placed butterfly kisses along every inch or so. She sighed in exhausted approval. She couldn’t open her eyes, but she could enjoy the feel of his mouth against her skin.

 

“Do you think we’ll ever work together again?” His voice barely reached above a whisper and sounded every bit as tired as she felt.

 

She nuzzled her cheek against the warm skin of his neck and gasped a short answer. “Probably.” Her eyes closed then, and she drifted off with the comfort of his strong arms holding her tightly against his bare skin.

 

Josh heard her breath even out and felt the tension ease from her muscles as she slipped into sleep. He lifted his hand to her face and tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. With trembling fingers, he traced her eyebrows before running the tip of his finger down the length of her nose and outlining her full lips. Her beauty always left him breathless, but there was something heartbreakingly exquisite about her as she slept. He leaned down to press a tender kiss to her soft mouth and heard her sigh in her sleep.

 

Her toned legs intertwined with his, and her gorgeous body curved into his side. He ran his hands lightly over her back and relished the feel of her smooth skin under his calloused palms. Her skin was dewy from making love to him just minutes before she fell asleep. It had been slow and mind-blowing with her rocking on top of him as he held her naked torso against his.

 

Her climaxes crested slowly and gently as she guided her hips against his. Her pace remained the same throughout their coupling; as steady as a metronome. They’d been hauntingly quiet. Only gasps and breathy whispers fell from their lips until she released a long, slow moan that echoed through him to his toes. She hadn’t slowed or stuttered. She simply kept undulating her hips against him until she reached the pinnacle again. Heat radiated from their joined bodies until he couldn’t wait any longer and succumbed to an intense orgasm that seemed to last for hours.

 

He wasn’t sure how every single time with her was an experience that put all the others they’d shared to shame, but it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they kept getting better and better in bed together. The more they slept together, the better they knew each other’s bodies. No matter if it was short and sweet, sensual and time-consuming, rough, or gentle, he loved every one of their experiences together.

 

To be completely honest, he knew everything he had with her was remarkable. With a heart bursting with affection, he mumbled against her ear, “You’re amazeballs, sweetheart.”

 

He must have drifted off then because the next thing he remembered was waking the next morning to the feel of her mouth swallowing his cock. His eyes fluttered open, and when he blinked to clear them, he saw her blonde head bobbing up and down on his morning erection. He sighed in appreciation and held her head gently to help her work his length.

 

The suction she created coupled with his surprise to be woken by oral sex meant he didn’t last long. He tensed and grunted her name as she welcomed his release. She was thorough and spent considerable time making sure he was completely sated before stretching out over him and fusing her lips to his.

 

It took him a few moments to clear his mind, enough time to realize her left hand wasn’t touching him but herself. He kept his hands firmly on her plump ass while he watched the conflicting emotions of pleasure and exquisite pain fight for victory. It didn’t take long until her eyes closed in surrender, and she groaned her release deep in her throat.

 

Josh reveled in the weight of her pressing him downward into the bed and waited for her heartbeat to return to its normal pace. When it was close, he spoke reverently, “Good morning, Jennifer. Thanks for making my wakeup call… God, amazing is the only way to describe it.”

 

She didn’t respond. Instead, she stretched against him and sported a self-satisfied smirk. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke. “I think it was kind of…I don’t know…amazeballs?”

 

“You heard me last night, huh?”

 

“I was drifting in and out, so I heard you, but I would have agreed with that anyway. We are amazeballs.”

 

He chuckled and stretched to wake his stiff muscles before giving her another squeeze. “What have you got on the agenda today?”

 

She groaned and nuzzled her face deeper into the pillows. “Don’t make me get up, please, Joshy. I don’t want to get out of bed today.”

 

“You can stay here as long as you want, sweetie, but I’ve got meetings.”

 

“No,” she groaned with exaggerated frustration. “Stay here with meeeeeee!”

 

He smacked her on the ass firmly with his palm before wiggling out from under her. “Sorry, baby. You know I’d rather, but duty calls.” He pressed several wet kisses to her spine before straightening and making his way to the bathroom. Thankfully, she’d taken care of his morning wood, so he was able to relieve himself with no problem. The five minutes in the shower refreshed him, and he rejoined Jen in her bedroom with a fluffy mint green towel slung low on his hips. She hadn’t moved from the bed. She lay in the pile of pillows with a soft pout on her face.

 

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked as he shook his jeans to straighten out the pant leg.

 

“Come back to bed,” she whined in only a partly mocking tone.

 

He moved across the bed and kissed her softly before sitting down to face her. Her fingers crept along the edge of the towel to tease him, but he covered hers with his own to stop her. “What are you doing tonight? You want to hang out?”

 

“Uh huh,” she nodded as she sulked.

 

“My place or yours?” he asked as he worked to dress himself without enticing her any more than she already was.

 

“You choose.”

 

“Alright then. Mine. I’ll grill, and we can watch TV or something.”

 

“Or something… I like the sound of that,” she said huskily, and he shook his head at her.

 

“You’d think you hadn’t had sex in years the way you can’t keep your hands off me.” He straightened the waistband of his boxer briefs and pulled his jeans to rest on his hips. He ducked when a pillow whizzed past his head and laughed at her expression of mock outrage. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and leaned in to kiss her one more time. “See you at seven?”

 

“I’ll be there,” she returned

 

He grinned at her bare form, the curve of one breast exposed above the edge of the white top sheet. “Love you, baby.”

 

“Love you too,” she agreed softly as he walked from the room.

 

His meetings seemed to last forever, and he found himself daydreaming during them more than once. He pulled it together long enough to work out some business and then met a few friends for a late lunch. Even his buddies weren’t enough to keep his mind off his girlfriend, so it was with a sigh of relief that they said goodbye. Josh grabbed his helmet and mounted his Moto Guzzi to head for his house.

 

Traffic proved to be terrible, and it took twice as long to get there than normal. It was almost 6:00 p.m. by the time he parked his bike in the garage and made his way to the kitchen to feed his dog and pull out some steaks for the grill. He puttered around his house before moving to the pantry to try to find something they could eat with the meat. There were a few bags of chips and a box of macaroni and cheese, which he wasn’t sure he felt like cooking. When he glanced in the refrigerator, he was relieved to find some fresh vegetables. For some reason, Jen had been trying to convince him that he needed to eat healthier, and he knew having something green on the dinner table would make her happy.

 

“If I’m eating veggies tonight, the least I can do is have a drink or two before dinner,” he muttered to himself and poured some whiskey into a glass. The alcohol burned down his throat when he swallowed. The bite felt good, so he poured another. When he downed it, he poured a third glass to take outside with him. He made it halfway back to the kitchen before he returned to the bar, grabbed the whiskey bottle, and carried it to the grill.

 

Josh had lost count of the number of pours he’d made by the time Jen poked her head through the sliding glass door of his deck. He lifted his tumbler and pointed at her with his index finger when he saw her.

 

“Heyyyyyyyyyyyy!” he slurred. “There’s my sexy woman. Come here, Jennifer. I missed you today.” He flipped the steaks before turning back to her and pulling her into a bear hug.

 

She took a whiff of his breath and pulled away quickly. “Wow. Had a few to drink?”

 

“Nah,” he chuckled. “What makes you say that? What’s that you have there, baby?” He stumbled against her when she pulled away, and she caught him before he bumped into the grill.

 

“Easy, hon. Let’s get you sitting down.” She helped him to the bench and kissed him on the forehead. Lifting the bag in her hand, she revealed, “I brought food to go with the steaks—potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salad. And I brought a game for us to play.”

 

“My god, I love you. You know exactly how to make my life better. Wait,” he said with a raised hand, “Wait, wait, wait. You… You. Are. What are you? Amazeballs. That’s what you are.”

 

She shook her head at the crooked smile on his dazed face and pulled the glass from his hand. “Maybe you should wait for a little while before you drink anymore.”

 

“But Jennifer,” he argued.

 

“But nothing, Joshua Ryan. I need to catch up with you.”

 

He pulled her down on his lap and kissed her. “That’s my girl. Join me! It’s drunk in my world. I mean great. It’s great in my drunk. _Shit!_ World. In my world.”

 

“I love you when you’re drunk,” she teased with a smile.

 

“You love me always,” he argued.

 

“Hmm… true.” She kissed him on the tip of his nose and shrieked with laughter when he nuzzled her neck and rubbed his facial hair against her sensitive skin.

 

Finally, he stopped torturing her and asked again in a haze, “What game did you bring?”

 

She flushed slightly and then admitted, “It’s silly, but I thought it might be fun. Hungry Hungry Hippos.”

 

“That’s it. Marry me. You’re my dream girl. _Shit_! The steaks.” He pushed her off him and grabbed the tongs to pull the steaks off the grill. They were slightly more done on one side than he normally would have cooked them, but they weren’t a lost cause.

 

“Joshy, if you burn my food, we are done. You know I can’t live without food.”

 

“Don’t leave me,” he pled with exaggerated drama. “Don’t go, Jennifer! I will never burn your food again. I will ply you with alcohol and pizza. I will climb the highest interstate overpass to bring you the greatest cuisine money can buy.” He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together in front of him. “You are my world. Don’t let a burned steak come between us.”

 

Jen stared at him in amusement. “Get up, you goofball. God, such drama. I haven’t seen such bad acting since I was in my fifth grade play.”

 

Josh smiled playfully and muttered, “It wasn’t that bad. In fact, I think I was pretty good there.”

 

“Of course, honey,” she placated him. “It was truly Oscar worthy.”

 

“Blah, blah, blah. Academy Award winner. Let’s eat.”

 

They bantered back and forth during dinner. He told her about his meetings, including a discussion with a director to play the lead in a new indie film.

 

“That’s fantastic, sweetie! I’m so happy for you!” She leaned across the table to kiss him and knocked over his drink in the process. “Oh, shit!” she sputtered and attempted to mop up the mess.

 

“It’s all good, Jen. It’s outside. It’ll dry. Besides, I’m the one who’s been drinking. Shouldn’t I be the one knocking over glasses?”

 

“I may have caught up with you,” she laughed and swigged her beer.

 

“Are you drunk?”

 

“Enough to want to play Hungry Hungry Hippos,” she teased. “Ohhh…I have an idea! Strip Hungry Hungry Hippos!” Her eyes sparked, but Josh looked at her with incredulity.

 

“Strip Hungry Hungry Hippos? Really? How? Why?”

 

“Fine. I was just trying to be creative.” After a pause she admitted, “My face is a little numb.”

 

“Face is numb. My hands aren’t working real well. I’ve downed almost an entire bottle of whiskey in an hour. I’m just saying, baby. Strip Hungry Hungry Hippos might be too many balls flying.”

 

“But that would be amazing,” she deadpanned. “Get it? Get it? Amazing. Balls. Amazeballs.”

 

He snorted at her drunken babble and set up the game. “I’m taking red. Guess that means you’re blue. I bet you I win.”

 

“You know how competitive I am, sweetheart. Don’t count your victories just yet. Besides, I’d rather be blue than have you go through blue balls again.”

 

“Please,” he snorted. “I’m every bit as competitive as you are, and I owned this game on the press tour. The only reason Liam won that one turn was because my hippo was broken, and I couldn’t get the yellow ball. Come on, Jen. Help me with my balls.”

 

She studied him for a few minutes before she asked, “Do you even hear yourself before you speak? Balls. Yellow balls. Broken hippo. I mean…”

 

He grinned at her and put his hands on the game lever. “I’ll tell you what,” he started.

 

“Woof,” she interrupted quietly.

 

He laughed and returned, “Woof. But seriously, let’s up the stakes since you’re so sure you’re going to win. If you win, we’ll take however many balls you win by, and I have to kiss you anywhere on your body you want for thirty seconds for however many balls extra you have.”

 

“And if I win?” she asked.

 

“Same.”

 

“We might as well play it strip then,” she observed.

 

“Maybe. Maybe you’ll be surprised. And maybe I’ll let you win a few times on purpose just to see what you come up with.”

 

Her eyes darkened and narrowed at his suggestive tone. “Let’s go.”

 

“Go!” he agreed, and they pounded the hippos to capture as many balls as possible. They laughed and attempted to cheat in order to beat the other, but Josh won the first round handily. When Jen pouted, he set the timer on his phone for three minutes and thirty seconds and said, “I win. On my mouth. Feel free to use tongue.”

 

He winked and leaned across the table until his lips met hers. She opened over him and caressed his tongue with hers. He returned her strokes and moaned softly against her. Sometimes he just wanted the connection between them without the pressure to take it further. Jen sighed and nudged into him just as the alarm sounded to signal the end of his reward. Josh kissed her softly and pulled back. She wore a dazed expression, and he knew his wasn’t much clearer. The passion between them made him weak in the knees.

 

“Let’s play again,” she suggested breathlessly.

 

He didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded and reset the game. They played furiously, but he won again, this time by one more ball.

 

“Four minutes. My neck.”

 

Jen didn’t complain this time. Instead, she moved around the table to sit on the bench with him and traced the tips of her fingers along his jaw. He titled his head slightly to the right and whimpered in longing when she brushed her lips up and down his neck. After several passes, she trailed the tip of her tongue along his skin until his breath grew ragged.

 

When the alarm sounded again, she pulled back reluctantly and asked, “Again?”

 

“As long as you want,” he whispered. He won again and held out his index finger for her to take in her mouth. Her pink lips moved from the tip of his finger to his knuckle and back again, and he felt his dick grow harder with every movement. He loved watching her mouth envelop him, no matter what body part. His breathing sharpened in ragged gasps as she pulled on his digit, and he closed his eyes to enjoy himself more completely.

 

“Another round,” he insisted when the time ended. This time he didn’t try, and she set the alarm for five minutes before uncovering her right breast. He sucked the nipple and worried it with his tongue until it peaked in his mouth. Jen gasped and mewled as he tugged and nipped at her. This time when the alarm sounded, he ignored it and angled his head to take her in further.

 

“Josh,” she begged, “get naked.”

 

He tore his mouth from her and sucked in air. He was incredibly turned on, but he wanted to prolong his time pleasuring her. He swallowed hard and insisted, “Let’s play again.”

 

“But Josh,” she whined.

 

“You brought the game,” he argued. “And besides, I’ll make it worth your while.”

 

Jen gave in with a huff, but he kept his promise. Both of them won several more rounds, which increased the anticipation to near epic proportions before they gave into each other. In the end, neither went to bed hungry for anything but more of each other.

 


	28. Butterball

                                                                

“How hard do you think it is to make a turkey?”

 

Josh trailed his fingers though Jen’s hair and attempted to decipher her tone. They lay in bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms, and Josh was still attempting to regain his breath after a particularly intense round of oral sex with his girlfriend. She’d been insatiable, and he wasn’t sure what had brought on her mood. He remained silent for a few more minutes in an attempt to read her, but she grew impatient with his lack of response. She pulled away from him, propped herself on one elbow and practically glowered at him.

 

“I said, ‘How hard do you think it is to make a turkey?’” she snapped with flashing eyes and a hint of a scowl.

 

“Geez, Jennifer! What the hell is wrong with you? I was thinking.” Josh struggled to scoot up in the bed to prop himself against the headrest in an attempt to escape her glare, but her look seared him anyway.

 

“Why can’t you just answer me?” she snipped before her face crumpled and tears flooded her eyes. She turned away in embarrassment, but Josh reached for her anyway.

 

He pulled her against his chest and dropped gentle kisses on her temple before reassuring her, “Shh, honey. It’s okay, baby doll. What’s wrong? What’s wrong with my sweetheart?” When her only response was a tearful hiccup, he cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. Tears clung to the tips of her eyelashes, and Josh’s heart seized with affection and sadness at the anguish reflected in his girlfriend’s eyes. “Baby,” he whispered before kissing her trembling lips, “tell me what’s going on. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it. Together.”

 

Her eyes softened and a ghost of a grin teased the edges of her mouth. “Together?”

 

Josh smiled slightly and leaned in to kiss her deeply. He could feel the tension in her body, but she responded to him eagerly—almost too eagerly it seemed. When the heat between them threatened to make him forget their topic of discussion, he broke the kiss and held her gaze. In a reassuring tone, he returned, “Yes, Katniss. Together.”

 

She laughed then, a hoarse chuckle through her tears, and slapped him playfully on his arm. “I’m not Katniss right now, Joshy.”

 

“No, but we do things together—just like our characters did. Whatever you’re upset about, I’m right here.” Jen tucked her head to nestle it under his chin, so he prodded, “Tell me what’s wrong, sweet thing.” He ran his hands down her bare back and cupped the swell of her bottom with one hand. The other rested on her hip before slowly trailing down her naked thigh. He tucked his hand between her legs and smiled when she squeezed her thighs together to trap him there.

 

Jen twisted her fingers through the small patch of hair on his chest and then dragged the tip of her index finger down his torso to the path of hair that led downward. With a soft sigh, she allowed her palm to graze and then fondle him until Josh ordered her to stop.

 

“Sweetheart, don’t do that,” he directed firmly. “Quit trying to distract me and tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Her soft palm closed around his dick, and she murmured, “But doesn’t this feel better than talking?” With a dexterity and smoothness that surprised even himself, Josh twisted and plopped them both on her bed so that Jen’s back touched the mattress, and he could gaze straight into her eyes.

 

“Gotcha,” he teased. “You’re trapped, and I’m not letting you up until you admit your deepest and most terrifying insecurities to me. I’m only slightly kidding. Now spill it.”

 

The look on Jen’s face made it clear that her body couldn’t help but react to his. They lay together naked, pressed tightly against one another, her most intimate place touching his. Her eyes darkened as they shifted against each other.

 

“I don’t want to talk right now,” she whined with need and pushed upward into him slightly.

 

“Tough luck,” he taunted but then reneged when he saw the flicker of anger in her eyes. “You tell me, and then I’ll take advantage of this situation.”

 

Her eyes flashed with mischief, and she countered, “Take advantage of this situation, and I’ll tell you.”

 

“Fair enough,” he said in surrender and dropped his lips to her collarbone.  He nipped at the hollow there and slipped his fingers into her wetness to tease her slit. “Tell me.”

 

A moan caught in her throat, and she gasped, “I don’t know how to make a turkey.”

 

He kissed her neck and ran his tongue along her jaw before murmuring against her smooth skin, “Neither do I. My mom made them. Or bought them.” He flicked the tip of his tongue against the corner of her mouth and asked, “Why does this matter?”

 

“I don’t know,” she said impatiently, but Josh pressed his thumb to her clit and began to massage it with slow, deliberate strokes. Her body tensed under his assault, and she whimpered, “I want to do something normal for Thanksgiving. I’m so tired of this fame bullshit.”

 

He breathed in her ear, “I know what you mean, baby. It’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” Jen’s arms clutched at his back, and he slipped a finger inside her. She tightened and sighed at his intrusion, and he felt her walls seize his digit.

 

A tear leaked from her right eye and trailed down the side of her face. “It’s not!” she wailed. “I want to have Thanksgiving here. At my house. I want to—” She broke off, and he dropped his head so he could flick his tongue across her nipple.

 

She growled, and he goaded, “You want to what? Tell me, and I’ll keep going.”

 

“Fuck, Josh,” she whined, “sometimes I hate you.” She gasped for air before admitting, “I want to stop being the kid. My brothers both have wives and families. My mom and dad are grandparents now. They all have houses and traditions, and I’m…  I’m still running home for every holiday and feeling like I’m twelve.”

 

He withdrew his finger from her and pushed back in with two. When she whimpered again, he reassured her, “You’re definitely not twelve. I wouldn’t do this with a twelve-year-old.” She released a choked laugh. “I only do this kind of thing with insanely gorgeous, amazing, grown ass women who know exactly what they want.” Her eyes fluttered closed then, and he demanded in a hoarse voice, “Tell me what you want.”

 

“I want you,” she pled.

 

“Not me,” he insisted, “about your life. Tell me what you want. What can I do to help?” He brushed his lips against hers and pressed his thumb harder against her clit until her body trembled beneath him.

 

“You fucker,” she cursed and twisted with need. “I want to host my family for Thanksgiving, but I don’t know how. I can’t make a turkey.”

 

He pumped his fingers and smirked when she clawed frantically at his back. “Sweetie, it’s a little late for this Thanksgiving. You’re leaving in two days to go home.”

 

“I know,” she whined plaintively. “God, Josh, stop teasing me.”

 

“But I like teasing you,” he chuckled and enveloped her nipple again. He tormented it with the flat of his tongue before lifting his face to hers. “You can practice on me,” he offered.

 

She strained as a mix of emotions crossed her face. “I thought that’s what you were doing to me.”

 

He pulled his hand from her and nudged her legs further apart so he could settle in between. “Look at me,” he ordered. When she did, he slid into her. Her warmth encased him, and they both gasped at the intimacy of their connection. He dropped his forehead to hers and struggled to control his breathing. She heaved beneath him, her chest expanding and contracting in desperate gulps. Her feet dug into the mattress, and her hands flitted across his body in attempt to gain control of her emotions.

 

“Josh…”

 

He withdrew and pushed back in again, and her eyelids lifted in pleasure. With a lot of effort, he stilled himself and said, “Let’s talk turkey, baby.”

 

She started to giggle, and so did he. With their bodies joined, they chuckled against each other until both of them practically howled with mirth. She relaxed then and lifted her limbs to wrap around his back and waist.

 

“I’m sorry,” she began, but he bucked into her to silence her.

 

“Don’t. Don’t apologize.” He lifted one hand to smooth back the hair from her forehead and drove into her again.

 

“Oh, fuck,” she whispered in awe.

 

“Shit, you feel good,” he hissed and dropped his head to concentrate. She was so warm and wet that his cock throbbed for release. The problem was that they weren’t done solving her issue, and he knew she was nowhere close to climax. He took a few steadying gasps before he could speak.

 

“I meant that we can get a turkey and cook it. For practice. So that next year you can have your whole family come out here, and you can host Thanksgiving.” Her arms tightened around him, and he pulled out of her slowly before sinking back in with a sigh. “Goddamn…”

 

“Yes,” she hissed. After a pause to regain control, she asked, “You mean it, honey?”

 

“I’ll buy you a Butterball,” he assured her and then gasped, “I’ll even do that thing where you have to squirt the turkey with juice. Whatever that’s called.”

 

Her hips lifted to his as his strokes grew quicker and more erratic. “Is that a hint you’re about to do that with me?” she teased.

 

“I can’t hold out much longer. Even with this inane babble about birds.”

 

She pressed her mouth to his ear and urged him, “Let go.”

 

He did with grunts of complete abandon, and she milked him as thoroughly as she could. He rolled off her and gathered her in his arms.  It wasn’t long before both of them slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

The next morning dawned much too quickly for both their tastes, but Jennifer bounded from bed as soon as she realized it was light outside.

 

When Josh groaned at her enthusiasm, she tugged on his hand and insisted, “You promised! You promised me you’d help me make a turkey! Come on, come on, come on! Let’s go get one and cook it. God, I’m excited about this! Why am I so excited about this?”

 

“Because you have mental problems?” Josh moved slowly, but he did manage to drag himself from the bed and stumble into the bathroom. It didn’t surprise him at all when Jen joined him, but neither were in the mood for anything other than a quick and very platonic shower. The thought of going to the grocery store made both of them queasy, but he’d promised.

 

As they got in her car, he suggested, “Why don’t we google this? I mean, I don’t know anything about buying turkeys. Do you?”

 

“Well, no,” she admitted as she exited her driveway, “but it’s just a bird. I mean, what do you have to know?”

 

“How do you cook it? Do you need a special pan? What about that tube-y thing for the liquid? What is that liquid, anyway? And what the hell is that thing called?” His confusion grew as he listed his concerns, and she glanced at him with panic.

 

“Yeah, google that shit, Josh.”

 

“Done. Okay, I’ve got a nine step list of how to make a turkey. We need to buy a pan, by the way. And then there’s a lot of other stuff that makes absolutely no sense to me. Something about stabilizing the wings and sticking a meat thermometer in the thigh. Turkeys have thighs?”

 

Jen shrugged and then said, “You have good thighs, baby. Nice and thick. They’re especially nice to gnaw on.”

 

“Yours aren’t so bad yourself,” he observed as he eyed her legs. “Sweetie, maybe we should call your mom. I bet she knows all about this.”

 

“No! I don’t want her to know. Call yours!”

 

He shook his head and laughed, “You know how much my mom hates to cook. I can’t remember the last time she chose to cook a turkey.”

 

She pulled into a parking lot and looked at him in frustration. “Fine,” she sighed, “let’s just go buy the shit we need and then figure it out. I mean, there has to be a hotline for this, right?”

 

He messed around on his phone for a few more minutes and then nodded, “Yeah, Butterball has a hotline.”

 

“Balls to the rescue.”

 

“As always,” he grinned.

 

They made it into and out of the store without major incident, which was a miracle by itself. Josh hoped their luck held as they tried to use her new kitchen for the first time.

 

When they got back to her house, they spread the supplies on the table. Overwhelmed, Jen directed, “Okay, Josh, call the ball hotline.”

 

He chuckled, “The number is literally 1-800-BUTTERBALL. That’s some funny shit. Oh, it’s ringing.”

 

He spent a few minutes explaining to the woman who answered what was happening. She seemed calm and unflappable, so he decided to believe she knew what she was doing and took copious notes on a notepad Jen handed him. He asked a few questions, but it seemed simple enough.

 

“Thank you, Rosa,” he said as she finished giving him directions. “Can I call you back if we have questions?” He nodded thoughtfully when she agreed, wished them luck, and then disconnected the call.

 

“Well, darling, we’ve got ourselves a Butterball to cook. You ready?”

 

Jen looked at the mess on the counter and shrugged her shoulders. “Uh, what have I gotten us into? That’s all I’m thinking.”

 

“We’ll figure it out. I’m assuming the turkey is thawed? That’s the first thing Rosa said. It can’t be frozen when you cook it.”

 

Jen put her hand on the turkey and nodded. “We bought a fresh one. That was smart thinking.”

 

“We are very smart.” He moved over to stand beside her and motioned to the turkey. “We have to wash it off now.” He looked at it in revulsion as she peeled off the plastic covering. “Yeah, you go ahead and do that. That’s disgusting.”

 

“How do I wash it?”

 

“Uh, put it in the sink?”

 

“Do I use soap?”

 

Josh grabbed the wrapping and glanced at the writing. “Oh, thank god. Instructions. Wash it with cold water, it says. Rosa didn’t tell me that part. Fail.”

 

“Epic fail,” she muttered as she cleansed the bird. “Now what?”

 

“Now comes the fun part. You have to stick your hand inside it and pull out the giblets.” The look of horror on her face made him laugh.

 

“What the fuck are giblets?” she demanded.

 

“They’re the guts. And the neck. Again, have fun with that.”

 

“You’re a wimp,” she told him as she stuck her hand into the cavity. “This is disgusting.”

 

“You have your hand up a turkey’s ass, Jen. How could it not be disgusting?”

 

“You are so damn eloquent. Shut up.” Jen pulled the two bags of innards from the turkey and threw them in the trash. “I hope we’re not supposed to save that bullshit because that is nasty.”

 

Josh glanced at the directions. “Possibly, but who cares?” They both shrugged, and Josh gave her the next set of instructions.  “Okay, you’re supposed to put the turkey in the pan breast down for the first hour, but…” He coughed and then added, “But you can massage the breast first if you want it to have extra flavor.”

 

“You just want to massage my breasts,” she grinned.

 

“And you want me to.”

 

“Every day of my life.”

 

“Do you want my help with that?” He struggled to assist her put the turkey in the pan, and then they worked together to cover the wings and drumsticks with tinfoil. “It looks like we’re getting ready to give this turkey those things. What are they? You know, in your hair?”

 

“Uh, highlights?” Jen asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Highlights, yeah. It looks like we’re trying to give this turkey highlights.”

 

“You are strange.”

 

“Always,” he agreed and smacked a kiss to her cheek. “Okay, Rosa gave me a very complicated explanation about how to baste this thing. That’s what it’s called, by the way. Basting.”

 

“How does one baste, darling?”

 

Josh took on a snooty air and replied, “In order to baste, one must have a baster. And one must baste with it. Seriously, I have no idea.”

 

“What the hell did Rosa tell you if she didn’t explain how to baste?” She picked up the baster and glanced at him. “Do we fill this thing up with something?”

 

“I’ll fill you up with something,” he leered at her.

 

“Joshy, stop! God, who’s the sex crazed one now?”

 

“I can’t help it, baby. You’re just so damn sexy with turkey guts all over your hands.”

 

It took a bit longer, but with the help of google and Rosa’s instructions from the Butterball hotline, they managed to get the turkey in the oven in less than thirty minutes. With the temperature set on 325 degrees and a timer fixed for five hours, Jen and Josh washed their hands and wrapped their arms around each other.

 

“I love you, baby,” Jen whispered as she kissed Josh softly on the lips. “You have no idea how thankful I am for you. And how grateful I am that you put up with my crazy ideas and stupid plans.”

 

“I love you too,” he returned. “And I don’t think you’re crazy. Well, I take that back. You are, but this idea wasn’t.”

 

“Hmm…  Explain, please.”  She looped her arms around his neck and looked at him with a contented expression.

 

He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone and said with complete sincerity, “I don’t think it’s crazy to want a normal life. And I don’t think it’s crazy to want to have that next part of your life. I want it too eventually.”

 

She closed her eyes in appreciation before answering. “Thank you for understanding. I’m not trying to rush you or push you or insinuate that you’re not enough. I don’t know what’s going to happen between us in the next few years, but I know you and I have the same life goals—even if they aren’t with each other.”

 

“No use counting your chickens before they hatch, right?” He snickered at his bird pun, and then grew serious. “We do have the same goals, and I love you. Never doubt that. When the time comes, we’ll be ready, but I want to let us be ready first.”

 

“So do I,” she admitted. “Hey, at least we know how to cook a turkey. Now, if you’ll follow me, I think you have some balls that need to be buttered.”

 

He laughed and answered, “I have some balls. I’m not sure butter is what they need.”

 

“Well, we can figure something out. Together.”

 

“Together’s the best way,” he said as he followed her to her bedroom.

 


	29. Soccer Ball

                                                                           

 

Ball Collection—Soccer Ball (Episode 29)

 

“Hey, buddy!” Josh clapped his brother Connor on the back and engulfed him in a bear hug. They’d seen each other only a couple of weeks ago at the LA premiere for his latest movie, but he missed Connor much more than he ever wanted to admit in public.

 

Connor flashed a toothy grin, and Josh smiled back. Connor had been very young, only six or seven when Josh and his mom left to pursue an acting career in LA, and Josh sometimes wondered how different life would have been if he’d stayed at home with his family and grown up the way other people had. He didn’t regret his choices; he never would, but there were times when he longed for the memories he wished he had from spending every day and night with his younger sibling instead of undergoing months apart.

 

The best thing Josh could do to drive away the wistfulness of the separation his career had forced upon him and his family members was to remember and recognize the benefits his acting had afforded to them all. His family was securely middle class before he’d left for LA, but the monetary rewards his job gave him had resulted in financial stability even after his mom quit her job completely. His dad had continued to work for the EPA mostly because he enjoyed his position and believed in what he was doing, and Josh would never have suggested he quit. However, Josh would have been happy to make sure he didn't need to work if he didn’t want to.

 

Besides the house and savings and stocks and bonds, Josh’s career meant his family had enjoyed traveling to a number of places they might not have decided to go on their own. Lakers tickets, concerts, movie premieres, and a million other things that were perks of his career helped ease the sadness he sometimes felt when he missed Connor and wanted to spend more time with him. He’d been able to give Connor so many experiences he wouldn’t have had if Josh weren’t an actor.

 

Connor rarely, if ever, made comments and accepted Josh’s decisions, but Connor was his baby brother, and he wished he could have been around more as he grew up. The fact that Connor’s smarts were off the charts made Josh extremely proud and more than a little sick. School had never been his thing, but he was thrilled about his brother excelling. He had a lot more patience than Josh did.

 

“I’m glad you’re here, man. Thanks for coming. I know you had other places you could have gone this week.”

 

“Well, mom’s here now and Amanda. It made sense to come. Got to get some turkey somehow, right?” Connor said with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

“Good point. Definitely a good point.” He hesitated for a few minutes and then admitted, “I have a turkey in the freezer here at my house if you want some today. Jen and I cooked one a few days ago before she left for home.”

 

“Really? My big brother’s getting all domestic on me? Is that what this woman’s doing to you?”

 

Josh blushed and looked down at his shoes. In a mumble, he defended himself, “It was kind of fun. Never made a turkey before. Not sure I ever will again, but now I’ve done it. Notch in the bedpost there, right?”

 

Connor punched him in the upper arm and teased quietly, “She’s got you whipped, man. Whipped, whipped, whipped. And I don’t mean with black leather.”

 

“Shut up, Connor,” Josh snapped.

 

Connor raised his hands and backed away. “Don’t get mad, bro. I’m just calling it like I see it.”

 

Josh’s mouth spread into a thin line, and he nodded in annoyance. “Yeah, let’s get you settled in here.” He reached for his brother’s duffle bag and stalked down the hall to his guest room. “Here you go, little bro. Give me thirty, and then I thought we could go to Griffith Park and see if there’s a soccer game going.”

 

“Sounds good. I’ve got a few people I need to catch up with, so take your time.”

 

Josh turned to head to his office, but his brother’s voice stopped him. “You know I’m teasing about Jen, right?”

 

He laughed with a harsh edge. “Sure. Sure, I got you.”

 

“I mean it, bro. I was just giving you shit.”

 

Josh snapped, “I heard you. Let it go.”

 

He stormed down the hall to his study and slammed the door. He wasn’t actually mad at his brother, so what was it he was so upset about? He loved Jen. He’d do anything for her. Cooking the turkey with her wasn’t something that made him feel emasculated. It hadn’t made him feel like he was giving up anything. Connor knew he wouldn’t do anything that he wasn’t perfectly willing to do, so why was Josh so upset?

 

He slumped in the chair at his desk and took out his phone. When he hit the button to light up the screen, it was clear. Jen hadn’t sent him any messages, and he wasn’t sure why that bothered him so much. After a few tortured seconds, he typed into the phone.

 

**I miss you, baby. Hope you’re having fun with your family.**

He waited for a few minutes, but there wasn’t any response. He missed her more than made sense. He missed her smile and her laugh. He missed the warmth of her body next to him while he slept. He missed her mouth on him. The time apart was driving him crazy.

 

The problem with that was that they were young. He was only 22. She was 24, and they’d only been together for a few months. They hadn’t even celebrated their one year anniversary yet, and he’d already imagined spending the rest of his life with her. Waking up every morning to her, going to bed every night with her, proposing, marrying her, having kids… He was in deep. He knew it, and it scared the shit out of him. It was way too soon to be thinking about all that yet, but here he was—sitting in his office alone feeling like he’d been socked in the balls.

 

His prolonged sigh at his predicament created such a gush of air in the room that Driver perked his ears and lifted his head from his paws to look at his owner.

 

“Sorry, boy,” Josh spoke softly. When Driver padded over and nudged him with his head, Josh reached down to scratch between his ears. “Thanks for being my buddy.”

 

Driver released a short bark, turned around three times, and settled again at Josh’s feet just as there was a knock on the door.

 

Connor poked his head in the room and asked, “You ready? It’s been 45 minutes. Everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, sorry,” Josh mumbled. “Let me go change. I’ll be ready in five.”

 

He entered his room and grabbed a t-shirt and athletic shorts. When he was dressed, he pulled a pair of socks and soccer cleats from his closet before flopping down on the bed to put them on.

 

“Get it together, man. You’ve got to get your head out of your ass. You are a grown ass man—a damn Hollywood actor and you’re sitting here mooning over a girl like you’re a love sick teenager.” He shook his head and glanced in the mirror with hollow eyes. “To be fair, that girl is the love of your life, an award winning actor herself, and the most gorgeous woman you’ve ever bedded, but whatever. Shit, I miss her.”

 

He smacked his hand against his dresser and shook himself. Connor was here right now. His brother was in the same town, and for right now, he was in the same house. Josh wanted to spend some time with him—and he _should_ spend time with him. Otherwise, he never would have put that on his list of New Year’s resolutions. Soccer was one thing the two had always shared, always loved, and today was the perfect day to get out of the house and get some exercise.

 

He emerged from his slump and his room at the same time and called, “Let’s go, man! We’re taking the Jeep. Driver! You too. Get in the car.”

 

Connor rounded the corner and dodged Driver who streaked toward the garage like a bolt of lightning. “Same team today, or you think we should spare whoever we play the Hutcherson brother magic?”

 

“The Hutcherson brother magic. Man, it’s been a while since we’ve unleashed that on the world.”

 

“Well, not that long. We’ve done some of that at Tech since you’ve been to visit a few times. Just not in soccer.”

 

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Josh nodded thoughtfully. He glanced over at his brother and spoke quietly, “I miss you, man. I really do, but I’m totally proud of you. You’ve done awfully well for yourself.”

 

Connor grinned and shook his head. “Don’t get mushy on me, Josh. Get your game face on. We’ve got a soccer game to win.”

 

Josh pulled into a parking spot at Griffith Park, and it wasn’t long before they found a group of guys kicking around a soccer ball. They invited the brothers to join, and they all spent the better part of an hour running, kicking, passing, and trash talking while Driver ran happily in circles and yapped as they played. Josh relished the sun on his face and the freedom he felt when he had the chance to let loose and partake in something so regular. These guys didn’t care that he was an actor as long as he didn’t let the other team score.

 

Suddenly, Josh recognized the reasoning behind Jen’s breakdown over the turkey a few days before. She craved normalcy as much as he did, and she enjoyed it even less often. He wondered if that was part of her reticence when talk of the future emerged as a topic of conversation. He knew she loved him. He didn’t doubt that for a second after the rough patch they’d been through over the past few months. She’d assured him a number of times that she was in it for the long haul, but sometimes he wondered just how long that was for her. He was thinking about the rest of his life. Was she on the same page, or was a long time just a few years for her?

 

At that moment, Connor passed him the ball, he dribbled it back and forth between his right and left foot a few times, and took a shot at the goal. He hooted in victory and pumped his fist when the soccer ball slipped past the goalie and hit the back of the net. He jogged over to the picnic table where he’d left his dog and his drink and gulped down half a bottle of cold water before collapsing onto the bench.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re tired. You must be getting old,” Connor teased from his upright position.

 

Josh squinted into the sunset and eyed his little brother. “I’m getting older, but who’s getting wiser? Wait, that’s you. Always you.”

 

“I’m not getting wiser. I’ve always been wise,” he argued and then asked, “You ready to head back to your place? I’ve had enough for today.”

 

“Sure,” Josh shrugged, and they started back to his Jeep.

 

Once Driver was settled, Josh turned toward his home and almost steered into a parked car when Connor broke the silence with a question that surprised him.

 

“What’s really going on with you and Jen?”

 

“Wh-what do you mean?” Josh sputtered and straightened out the steering wheel.

 

“I mean, what’s really going on with you two? I know you’re together. We all know that since you went public to the press, but I’m your brother. I’ve watched you fall head over heels for a number of girls—okay women, and I have never seen you like this before. Never.” Connor paused for effect. “You moon over her when she’s not around. You spend a ton of time with her. You cooked a turkey together, Josh. This is the big time. This isn’t some crazy crush. You’re in love with this girl, aren’t you?”

 

“She isn’t just some girl.”

 

“No, you’re right,” Connor agreed. “That’s not fair. You’re in love with Jennifer, aren’t you?”

 

Josh took a deep gulp of air, held it, and then released it slowly through his teeth. “Yeah… I am.”

 

“How in love?”

 

“Huh?” Josh asked in confusion.

 

“How in love with her are you?” his brother clarified and waited for an answer.

 

“So, so, so much,” he answered in a tortured groan.

 

“How much?” Connor insisted.

 

Josh sighed and came clean. “So much that sometimes it physically hurts to be away from her. I want to marry her and raise a family with her. I want to take care of her when she’s sick and escort her down every red carpet she does, but that’s insane.”

 

“Why? All of that sounds pretty normal to me.”

 

“Yeah, it would be if Jennifer and I were normal.”

 

Connor laughed and asked, “Does one of you have an extra arm I haven’t seen yet? What’s the problem?”

 

“We’re young.”

 

“Mom and dad were about your age when they got married. They did alright.”

 

“We just started dating. It hasn’t even been a year yet. What am I thinking?”

 

Connor snorted in disbelief. “You’ve known each other for four years. She was your best friend and now it’s something more? And you’re worried you haven’t been dating very long? Josh, buddy, no one says you have to pop the question right now, but there’s no sense in trying to talk yourself out of being crazy about her.”

 

“I’m not trying to talk myself out of anything,” Josh argued in his defense.

 

“No,” Connor agreed, “but you _are_ feeling guilty for loving her so deeply. Stop it. Enjoy it. If it’s meant to be, everything will clear up, and you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re meant for each other.”

 

“What happens when one of us has to leave for a shoot? How are we going to withstand that? We haven’t been apart for more than a few days at a time since we filmed _Mockingjay_.”

 

Connor sighed, “Josh, you’re a smart guy, but you’ve got to stop outthinking yourself. Jen loves you. Everybody can see that. You love her. That’s been disgustingly clear. There’s no time table. There’s no right and wrong in this situation. Trust her. Trust yourself, and let it happen.”

 

Josh pulled into the gate at his house as he asked his next question. “You don’t think it’s crazy to be thinking about baby names and wedding venues at this point?”

 

“Thinking about? No. Actually discussing it? Maybe. Like I said, stop beating yourself up for feeling this way about her, and just enjoy it. When the time’s right, it’ll happen, and you two will make everybody sick with how happily in love you are.”

 

Josh nodded as he put the Jeep in park and closed the garage door. “I pretty much said that to her the day before she left for Kentucky.”

 

“Then why are you wrestling with it now if that’s what you think too?”

 

He shrugged and glanced at his brother. Connor shook his head and answered, “Because you miss her? Is your brain a little fuzzy since she’s been gone?”

 

Josh nodded and ducked his head to hide his flushed cheeks. “Yeah. Probably.”

 

“Call her. Talk to your woman and get your head on straight. I’m sorry I teased you about her. I didn’t really understand how deep this went until just now.”

 

Josh grinned and admitted, “You’re an awfully good brother. Thanks, man. Give me a few minutes to talk to her, and then I’ll hit the shower and take you out for dinner. Maybe we can stop by a bar or two on the way home.”

 

“Or we could come back here and drink whatever we want.”

 

“My brother is a genius.”

 

“Damn straight,” Connor laughed and exited the garage. “Take your time. I’m calling my girl now, too.”

 

Josh dialed Jen’s number and waited impatiently as it rang three…five…and then seven times. He was just about to hang up and skip hearing her message when she answered the phone.

 

“Josh?”

 

“Hey, baby. I miss you.”

 

“Oh my god. I miss you too, sweetie!”

 

“I just wanted to hear your voice. You hadn’t messaged me all day, and…”

 

She spoke quietly into the phone, “And what, Joshy? You okay, hon?”

 

The lump in his throat tightened at the concern in her voice. Tears stung the corners of his eyes, and he blushed again with embarrassment. It was a good thing Connor had left him alone to make this call because Josh felt like a love sick puppy, and he didn’t like that feeling.

 

“Sorry, Jennifer. I’m fine. Go back to your family. I just wanted to say hi.” He started to pull the phone away when he heard her frantic voice.

 

“Josh! Don’t go!”

 

He settled the phone next to his ear and reassured her, “I’m here.”

 

“It’s really good to hear your voice. It’s good to be home, but I wish you were here with me. I know you have your own family to see, and I know it’s important for us to have time apart, but I miss you. You always steady me when I get going, and I miss your arms around me and your kisses. And I miss being naked with you…” she trailed off into a wistful silence.

 

“Jen,” he began with hesitation, “is this too much?”

 

“Too much?” she asked with concern. “What do you mean, ‘too much?’ What are you talking about?”

 

He took a steadying breath and answered, “Are we in too deep with this? I miss you so much it hurts, and this is just a few days. How much worse is this going to be when we have to be apart for work? Are we going to make it?”

 

“Joshua Ryan Hutcherson,” she hissed, “don’t you even put that out there. I love you. Don’t you start doing this again. You are one of the most laidback people I know, and you are overthinking this relationship. What’s wrong with you?”

 

“Nothing, I—”

 

“Don’t ‘nothing’ me. What’s wrong?”

 

He couldn’t help but laugh at her stern tone. “Honestly, Jen, nothing. I’m not doubting us at all. I just miss you so much, and it’s driving me a little crazy.”

 

“Yeah? Well, think of it this way. When I get home, I’m going to show you the time of your life. Get your balls ready, baby.”

 

Blood rushed to his groin, and he fought his physical reaction. He didn’t need a boner right now. That was one more thing Connor would give him shit about.

 

“I’ve got some ideas myself, baby. Get your ass back here, so I can rock your world,” he growled.

 

She giggled at his tone and said, “I’ll be there in three days. Enjoy your time with your brother. I’m not going anywhere. Love you.”

 

“Love you back,” he admitted before disconnecting the call and allowing his head to fall against the back of the seat.

 

While talking had helped relieve his fears about them, it had also led to an expected effect. Hearing her voice made him miss her more. It felt like he’d been kicked in the crotch by the soccer ball he’d played with earlier. He couldn’t wait for the three days to pass.

 


	30. Call the Balls

                                                    

I can’t wait to get home to him today. I don’t know what it was that made both of us miss each other so insanely much during my five day trip home, but I was over the absence before it even started. Josh’s call a few days ago made it pretty clear he was struggling with the distance, too. Sometimes it scares me how much we love each other, but then I realize I’d rather love him than anyone else.

 

I hired a car today because I don’t want to make small talk on the way to his house, and I’m more than grateful for that right now. My hands are shaking with anticipation because I’m so excited about seeing him in just a few minutes. I didn’t text him to let him know I’m home. I’m planning to surprise him, and I can’t wait.

 

The driver lets me out, and I slip through his gate with the code he gave me months ago. I climb the rise to his house and knock on the door, but I’m so impatient I can barely stand still. I can hear him walking through the house and Driver yapping a few times as Josh moves down the hall and toward the door. I assume he’s on the phone because I can hear him talking, and it’s not in his dog daddy voice.

 

The door swings open, and the look on Josh’s face is priceless. It’s clear he didn’t bother to check the surveillance camera in order to see who it was because his face breaks into a massive but shocked smile after his jaw gapes for a couple of seconds.

 

Note to self: make sure to give him shit later about not being safe. Why bother having a security system if he’s not going to use it?

 

“I have to call you back,” he says into the phone and throws it on the side table to the left of the door. “Fuck, I missed you,” he mutters before engulfing me in his arms. He yanks me into the house, rips my bag from my hand, slams the door, and pushes me against the wall in mere seconds.

 

I smile at him with more affection than I knew I possessed and murmur, “Hi, baby. Good to see you again.”

 

Josh smashes his mouth to mine, and any pretense of control disappears. He moves his hands restlessly as his tongue rubs forcefully against mine. I moan from the intensity and wrap my arms around his neck. The tension drains from him, and his hands slow until one slips under the hem of my shirt and finds the skin of my stomach. The other fumbles with my skirt, but he locates the gap in the fabric and drags his hand up my inner thigh.

 

He pulls his mouth from mine and whispers, “I love you so much, Jennifer,” as his fingers grope my slit.

 

My eyes flutter closed as his fingertips swirl in the moisture I wasn’t even aware my body had produced, and I gasp, “Joshy… Little Joshy needs to come out and play.”

 

“Yes,” he groans into my mouth. Our tongues caress each other’s because we can’t stop, but I can feel my body temperature rising in a way that makes me clamor for his naked body. When his finger plunders me, I grip him inside and rip my lips from his.

 

“Now,” I pant. “I want you right fucking now, Joshua.”

 

He slams his mouth back to mine, but he stumbles backward and down the hall until we find his oversized couch. It’s almost like he’s practiced this or something because he guides me onto the cushions without falling or knocking us over. His lips still haven’t left mine by the time we’re reclined on the sofa.  His fingers haven’t pulled out of my heat either.

 

He’s making sounds in the back of his throat that are so sexy I want to jump him. I pull my skirt up quickly and spread my legs wider to allow him better access. I push at his chest in an attempt to stop him long enough to get him naked, but he’s not having any of it.

 

“Stop fighting me,” he growls. “This is fucking hot.”

 

I give up at that point and unbutton my shirt with trembling fingers. My bra has a front clasp, and I give silent thanks I thought to wear this one today. Josh nuzzles downward and finds my breasts with his wet mouth. He tugs my right nipple with his teeth and pumps his fingers in and out until I seize and mewl. His thumb presses into my clit, and I jerk underneath him until I feel a soft wave of heat flash through me.

 

“Oh, shit balls,” I groan breathlessly. “Josh, honey…”

 

“Jennifer,” he huffs as his thumb flits across me hastily. “Oh, fuck it. Hold on.” He extricates himself from me and stands by the edge of the couch to strip. When he rips his t-shirt off, he reveals his thick, toned torso that’s heaving as he exhales puffs of air. His jeans drop from his hips, and little Joshy springs free. He’s hard and long, and my mouth waters at the sight.

 

Wordlessly, I sit up and slip my blouse and bra straps from my arms before lifting my hips and shedding my panties and skirt. When I’m completely bare, I rise to face him and press my naked body against his tight muscles. We both moan at the feel of our skin pressed together. My mouth seeks his, and he opens his under mine to welcome me inside. My left hand fists in the hair at the nape of his neck, and the other drops to his plump ass to pull him toward me. His length pushes into my thigh, and he crushes my body to his tighter.

 

“I want to take this slowly, Jen, but I don’t think I can,” he admits in a harsh rumble.

 

“Don’t try,” I order and fall backward onto the couch. “Slow is overrated. Just get to it.” He lands on top of me with a soft grunt, and both of us lose ourselves.

 

His hips fit with mine automatically, and I welcome him inside me. He thrusts in with so much power, my eyes roll back in my head. He gathers me tighter in his arms, puts his mouth next to my ear, and pulses into me relentlessly. The muscles in his back bunch and release under my arms, his shoulders hunch together, and his hips piston repeatedly. I close my eyes and enjoy the ride as his breath fills my ear with pants and moans of my name and his feelings for me. Heat spreads from my core to every inch of my body. My fingers tingle, and then I explode.

 

“Josh!” I scream, and he answers with a shout of his own. His heat floods into me, and we rock together until our bodies give out.

 

There’s something incredibly intimate about being joined to him when we’re laying still. He’s still thick inside me, but I can feel his erection softening the longer we stay together. A sheen of sweat covers him, and I feel the chill of the air as it touches my exposed skin. He continues to gasp for air, and I fight to calm my own breathing. His palm brushes back the hair from my forehead as his lips press butterfly kisses to my temple.

 

After a few more minutes, Josh murmurs, “Welcome home.”

 

Tears food my eyes at his words, and I’m grateful he’s not looking at me. I feel home. I feel more at home in his arms than anywhere I’ve ever been, and the certainty of that scares the hell out of me.

 

In a valiant effort to control my emotions, I chuckle, “Thanks for being the welcome wagon.”

 

“Welcome wagons are fun to ride,” he says with a wink.

 

I burst into laughter at his suggestive tone, and the fear I just experienced disappears. This is Josh, and he knows exactly how to ease my doubts whenever I freak out—even if he doesn’t realize I am.

 

“But I didn’t ride you, baby. If anything, you rode me—but I don’t really think what we did counts.”

 

“Well, in that case, we may have to try it again. Let’s—” He starts to move so he can shift me on top of him, but then he gives up. “Yeah, I need a few more minutes. I’m young, but I’m not Superman. Gotta have some recovery time.”

 

Well, that’s just too much for me to resist. I push him off me so he’s beside me and ease off him. When he’s free, I reach down with my hand and grasp him. He’s still slick with my arousal, and his eyes flicker when I squeeze him.

 

“Jen,” he groans, “what the hell are you doing? I can’t right now.”

 

“You know, the boyfriend I know and love doesn’t know the meaning of the word can’t,” I tease.

 

He snorts with laughter before answering. “Your boyfriend is only human, but he’s also not going to say no if you want to fondle his cock.”

 

“That’s what I like to hear, sweetheart.” We chuckle together at our silliness. His eyes sparkle with happiness as he looks at me, and I press my lips to his several times in soft, sweet, incredibly passionate kisses. I’m so happy my heart hurts.

 

He pulls his hand from my face where he’s been cupping my jaw and reaches behind him to pull the fleece blanket that’s draped over the back of the couch over us. My skin was just starting to pebble with goosebumps, so I’m thrilled with the covering. He pulls it over our heads, and it’s just us beneath the blanket. The world has ceased to exist as far as I’m concerned. I’m exactly where I want to be.

 

The sexual tension between us is gone. I continue to play with him, but there’s no intention of getting him worked up again. I just want to touch him, and he’s perfectly willing to let me. His hands run across my bare skin, one on my back and one up and down my thigh.

 

“Josh,” I whisper, “this is the most perfect thing I’ve ever done with you.”

 

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he nudges my forehead with his and kisses me so deeply I feel it in my toes. His eyes close as he rests his head on the couch, and I trace his jawline with my index finger. He’s so masculine in this moment but also extremely vulnerable. I feel a protective pull and kiss the tip of his nose lightly.

 

“Who were you on the phone with when I got here?” I ask quietly. I don’t want to break the spell between us, but I also don’t want him to forget to return an important call.

 

He still doesn’t open his eyes but curses softly. “I almost forgot. I don’t know if you knew that I called bingo at Hamburger Mary’s last year or not, but they were trying to see if I’d be willing to do it again. There’s some sort of fundraiser, and the person they had lined up for it bailed at the last minute. They need someone for tonight.”

 

“Oh, I’ve never been there! Can I go with you?” A shiver of excitement runs through me at the potential of being in public with Josh in a capacity in which he’s the focus of attention, not me. It always seems unfair that someone as sure of himself as Josh is gets overlooked sometimes because he’s not as flashy as I am.

 

He opens one eye to peek at me in disbelief. “Do you really want to go? I kind of assumed now that you’re home we’d spend the night in bed together. I mean, I know I said I needed some time to recover, but I don’t need hours.”

 

I nod and the blanket slips so that the top of our heads are exposed. He shrugs until it settles around our shoulders and sighs at my enthusiasm.

 

“I guess that means I should call them back right now then.” He flops onto his back and whines, “I don’t wanna get up. I’m naked with my woman. Why? Why?!?!”

 

I can’t help but giggle at him. “Okay, drama queen. Good lord, I’ll make it up to you later.”

 

“Well, in that case, I might have some ideas.” He kisses me again before hopping from the couch and crossing the room. “Don’t move,” he says. “I’ll be right back.”

 

I can hear him return the call to the club and confirm his appearance tonight with the stipulation that I can join him. It’s not long before he’s back in the room and slips behind me on the couch so his torso is snuggled against my back. He presses a kiss to my shoulder blade and informs me, “We’re in. We need to be there at 6:00 p.m. That gives us another few hours until we have to get ready. I’m glad you caught an early flight today.”

 

“I’m glad, too. Whatever shall we do to pass the time until we have to go?”

 

His arms tighten around me and his chin nestles in the crook of my neck. “I can think of a few things.”

 

“I’m sure you can,” I say with a smirk. “Do you need to practice or anything?”

 

“Jen, honey, it’s bingo. How would I practice for that?”

 

I huff and turn over in his arms with a pout. “I don’t know. Don’t make fun of me. I’ve never done this before. What’s it called, anyway?”

 

“What? Calling the balls?”

 

I choke on my laughter. “Calling the balls? What do you call them?”

 

His brow furrows in confusion. Clearly he doesn’t get the joke. “What do you mean? It’s like B10 and G47 and so on.”

 

I cup him and clarify, “I meant, what do you call yours? _Your_ balls.”

 

His face is impassive and then he convulses with laughter. “Oh, hell, Jennifer. I missed that completely, and you should know as well as anyone that I haven’t named them. It’s bad enough you call my cock Little Joshy. As if it’s actually little.”

 

“Hmm… Maybe I need to inspect it and find out.” I kiss him lightly and slide down his body until I’m face to face with his shaft. It’s curled against his right thigh, but I blow on him and it twitches. With a sly smile, I tease, “Well, it’s a lovely size, but it’s far from huge,” before I run the tip of my tongue across the head. He gasps and thickens as I torment him. As he hardens, it raises to expose his balls, and I nuzzle them. “Well, maybe it is now.”

 

“Jennifer,” he whines.

 

“Alright, Little Joshy isn’t so little anymore, but what are these?” I massage him, and he squirms slightly. “These—well, these look like balls, baby. Should we call them?”

 

“Why are you doing this to me?” he pants in an anguished cry.

 

“Because I love you like crazy, baby boy, and I need to know what they’re called if you want me to actually call them.”

 

“Fuck. You decide. Name them something good,” he huffs and wriggles beneath me.

 

I lower my head again and pull one into my mouth and blow hot air against him. When he moans, I release him and murmur, “This one seems like a Butch.”

 

“Butch?” he squeaks. His eyes are closed and a pleasure so intense it looks like pain is spread across his face.

 

“Mmmhhh,” I answer with my mouth full of him again.

 

“Shit. Why the hell do I even tempt you?”

 

I giggle and respond, “Because it’s so fucking good when you do. I like Butch, by the way. It’s a very masculine name.”

 

“Bullshit. It reminds me of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” he pants and wraps his fingers through my hair.

 

“You be good or I’m going to name the other one Kid. Or Sundance.”

 

“ _You_ be good or Little Joshy’s going to get a hell of a lot littler in about five seconds.”

 

“Oh, don’t do that,” I taunt and lick a trail along his erection. When he moans my name again, I suck lightly on the head. He fidgets and jerks, but he tries to hold it together. “Now what should I call the other one?”

 

“Just not Kid. Please not Kid,” he begs.

 

My palm cups them both and rubs gently back and forth. They move under the skin, and I wonder how I can find something so strange and so unattractive by all rights so incredibly sexy. The human anatomy is simply odd. No one in their right mind would find genitals appealing if the stimulation of them didn’t feel so amazingly good.

 

I kiss them both and then whisper, “Cassidy. The other’s named Cassidy because now I can refer to them in public and no one will know I’m talking about your balls instead of the Western.”

 

Josh doesn’t even bother to answer. He simply writhes under me until I pull his shaft into my mouth and blow him. He’s obviously recovered because he’s as hard as concrete. It doesn’t take long before he throbs and howls my name. He spasms into my mouth with a prolonged groan before collapsing back on the couch again.

 

“Fucking hell,” he mumbles. “Didn’t know agreeing to call bingo would feel so damn good.”

 

“You will be well rewarded for your service,” I murmur and kiss my way back up his torso. When I reach his face, he pulls me into a kiss that sends shivers through my body. He flips us over and leers at me with an exhausted grin. “What are you thinking?” I ask with a tremble of concern.

 

“Oh, nothing,” he answers as he drops his head to my chest. His mouth moves back and forth between my breasts as he suckles and nips at me. “Just wondering what we’re going to call these now.”

 

“What do you mean?” I sputter. “They aren’t balls.”

 

“No, you’re right. They’re mounds, and I want to name them.” He squeezes them and flicks his thumbs across both nipples, and I have no desire to discourage him.

 

“Be nice,” I beg.

 

“I’m always nice.” He sucks a nipple into his mouth and kisses it before pronouncing, “This one’s Felicia.”

 

“Felicia? What the…?”

 

“Shh,” he orders and pinches the peak. “I like the name Felicia.” Then he moves to the other and murmurs, “And Laurel. Like Laurel Canyon. For the valley between them.”

 

That’s it. I lose it completely at that point, and we both laugh so hard all traces of sexual tension disappear. He lays his head on my belly and giggles so hard he can barely breathe, and I shake so much my stomach muscles actually hurt. It takes several minutes, but when we can finally inhale without cracking up again, I lift his head and pull his face to mine.

 

“You are not naming our children,” I tell him. “You’d probably name them Tits and Ass.” His eyes darken imperceptibly, and I wonder what’s going on in his brain. I’m too nervous to ask if his reaction is about the proposed names or the potential of future unborn offspring.

 

“Better than naming them after porn stars, which I swear you’d do just to torture me.”

 

His eyes have cleared, so I decide to let it go and not ask. Right now I just want to enjoy him before we have to leave for bingo in a couple of hours.

 

“If I had a crystal ball, I’d know whether we’d need to worry about it or not, but for now…”

 

He nods and leans down to kiss me again. “For now, I’ll let you call my balls anything you want.”

 

“Deal. And for now, I’ll just call them mine.”


	31. Balls of Steel

                                                                     

 

“Jen! Get in here! Kickoff’s coming up!” Josh yelled down the hall to his girlfriend.

 

Jen moved through the house and poked her head around the door to look at him before she stated, “Josh, you know I could give a shit less about professional football. Calm your tits. I’ll be there in a second.”

 

“What are you doing anyway? I thought we were going to watch football tonight.” He narrowed his eyes at her. Clearly she was up to something.

 

She made a face at him and headed back toward the kitchen. “This is my house, buddy boy, so mind your own business. And keep your feet off my couch! Don’t mess up my pristine mansion.”

 

“Pristine mansion, my ass!” he retorted and settled in to watch the last of the pregame coverage for the football game. His beloved Cincinnati Bengals were set to play the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a win would put his team firmly in control of the AFC North and earn a playoff berth. The Bengals had been so bad for so long that the team’s recent success still surprised him, but he was perfectly willing to enjoy the ride. He was no fair weather fan. He’d paid his dues and was thrilled to finally reap the benefits of a decent football team.

 

It seemed strange to him to be watching the game at Jen’s house instead of his own. She’d moved in a few weeks prior, right before they left on the press tour for _Mockingjay_ , and they hadn’t spent much time there together yet except for the turkey cooking experience, opting instead to hang out and sleep at his house when they weren’t shacking up in hotel rooms across Europe and the US. Admittedly her place was significantly larger than his, but it was also a lot more feminine and a lot more white. He constantly felt like he was going to soil her furniture and carpeting just by being there.

 

He wasn’t sure if she was planning to redecorate or not, but he couldn’t imagine that his klutzy girlfriend would be able to keep a white house clean for very long—especially if they spent any time at all together there. He ran his bare feet across the white shag throw rug and wondered if he could convince Jen to let him have his way with her on it. Knowing her, she’d already thought of it and had a plan to get him naked.

 

Not that he’d mind that at all. Being naked with Jen was one of his very favorite things, and something they enjoyed as often as they possibly could. He chuckled deep in his chest as he remembered some of their antics lately. They were goofy together, but it worked, and the chemistry between them never seemed to fade.

 

With his attention riveted on the television, he almost missed Jen’s entrance into the room. He gaped at her as she purred, “How long till kickoff, Joshy?”

 

He tried to speak, but his voice wouldn’t cooperate. He flapped his jaw a few times, but nothing came out. She smiled coyly and walked into the room, covered only in a frilly white apron that bore a remarkable resemblance to a French Maid’s Halloween costume, and bearing a tray with snacks and a few beer bottles.

 

“Holy hell,” he gasped as she bent over in front of him to place the food on the coffee table, and he was able to enjoy a full view of her bare breasts.

 

“I thought you might enjoy some refreshments. You know, for the game,” she joked.

 

He gulped in appreciation and agreed, “Yeah, yeah. For the game. That’s what I’m thinking about right now.”

 

“Oh, but baby, it’s almost kickoff.” She moved around the coffee table to stand between it and the couch and bent over from her waist so that her rounded bottom stared him in the face. He shifted uncomfortably and struggled to keep his hands in his lap instead of grabbing her ass while she picked up a beer and turned to hand it to him.

 

“Thanks,” he mumbled in misery as his cock throbbed in his pants.

 

“You’re welcome,” she hummed and settled next to him on the couch. He slid his right arm around her and raised the beer to his lips with his left. He wasn’t at all surprised to see his hand shake as he took a sip of the cold liquid. He took a second swig in an attempt to cool his insides from the scorching heat the sight of Jen had created in him, but it didn’t help when his right hand landed on bare skin, no matter where he put it.

 

“Ah, um, are you going to watch the game like that?” he asked with a tremor in his voice.

 

“Sure. Why? Am I distracting you? You wanted me in here.”

 

He nodded shortly and returned his eyes, but not really his attention, to the television. “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.”

 

“Oh, I’m fine, darling. You’re so terribly thoughtful,” she answered with mock sincerity. “What’s going on here, by the way? You know I don’t really care for football.”

 

“Well, uh, umm… The teams are finishing warmups. Kickoff should be in just a few minutes.”

 

“And who is it that’s playing?” she murmured seductively just a few millimeters away from his earlobe.

 

Josh pushed the bottom of the beer bottle against his crotch to try to keep his dick from pushing through his pants, but the coolness of the beer wasn’t doing much to combat the fire from Jen’s lips. “The, uh, Bengals. Cincinnati Bengals, that is.”

 

“And who’re they playing?” Jen asked before laying her hand on his thigh.

 

“Pittsburgh,” he blurted and gulped in a breath. “The Pittsburgh Steelers.”

 

“Ah,” she exhaled and warm air puffed along his neck. “The Steelers. Playing football. I wonder if they have balls of steel.”

 

Josh forced a laugh that sounded more like the croak of a dying frog and asked, “Why would they have balls of steel?”

 

“No reason,” she answered flippantly. “I just wonder about balls all the time, baby.” Josh jumped when one finger traced along the crease where his leg met his hip.

 

“I bet you do,” he gasped.

 

“Oh! Kickoff! Let’s watch it.” Jen settled back against the couch and laid her head on his shoulder. His arm remained around the curve of her back, but her hands lay folded innocently in her lap. It was almost like she hadn’t just made him so hot his balls practically exploded.

 

The Bengals received the football first, and Josh almost managed to forget the pain in his groin and his almost naked girlfriend during the first quarter. The game was a defensive clash with every yard gained a hard-fought battle and every first down a massive war. As the first fifteen minutes wound down, Josh felt victorious that the Bengals were able to make a field goal while the Steelers were held scoreless.

 

As the game went to an extended commercial break, Jen sighed, “Well, that was pretty boring.”

 

“What do you mean it was boring? That was awesome! The Bengals are winning.”

 

“Eh…” she said and rose from the couch to expose her bare backside to him. “I’m going to get some more beer. Want anything else, Joshy?”

 

He shook his head shortly because he didn’t trust himself to speak. When she left the room, he muttered, “I want to fuck your brains out.”

 

“What was that, baby?” she called from the hallway.

 

“Nothing, hon!” he answered quickly. “I’m fine.”

 

She returned with two longnecks in each hand a feather duster clenched between her teeth.

 

“Fuuuuu….” he breathed and turned his head to the TV in an attempt to distract himself.

 

“Here you go,” she chirped and handed him a bottle before flipping up her apron skirt and settling next to him again. After a few minutes, she leaned forward to the coffee table and picked up a bowl of chips and dip. “Are you hungry, Josh?” she crooned seductively. When he nodded, she swirled a chip in the dip and raised it to his lips.

 

His eyes flitted across her face and tried to read her expression, but he couldn’t see anything except sincerity. He bit into the chip and groaned inwardly when she wiped some of the dip from the corner of his mouth and fed it to him. He sucked on her finger for just a moment before she pulled it free and leaned in to kiss him softly.

 

“Just let me know if you want more,” she suggested and set the bowl in her lap before turning her attention to the game.

 

He already wanted more. He shifted again in an attempt to relieve the pressure in his pants, but there wasn’t anything to be done except stripping naked. He’d made such a big deal about them watching the game together that he hated to give in and turn his concentration on her, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. She was deliberately attempting to seduce him, and it was working better than she could possibly know.

 

The second quarter remained a defensive deadlock, and Josh found himself impatient for someone to make an offensive move. It was at that moment that Jen rose from the couch and pranced from the room again.

 

“What the holy hell is she trying to do to me?” he muttered under his breath. He took another swig of beer and counted the empties. He was shocked that the table held eight bottles, and he knew Jen had only consumed one. He was buzzed, and he hadn’t even realized it.

 

She returned with a bucket of ice and placed the two beers that were still full in it. Then she turned to him and asked, “What kind of halftime entertainment is there tonight, do you think?”

 

Josh glanced at the game clock and noticed there were just a few seconds left in the first half. With a grin, he answered, “I think we can come up with something a hell of a lot more fun than whatever the Bengals have planned.”

 

“You think?”

 

“I know,” he stated and reached for the ice bucket. He grabbed two pieces of ice and ran them along her neck to the valley between her breasts. “I imagine Felicia and Laurel want to come out to play. Think they want to see Butch and Cassidy again?”

 

She snorted with laughter but stopped when he sucked on her collarbone. “We might need to arrange a reunion.”

 

“You did this to torture me, didn’t you, Jennifer?” he asked as he licked a trail across her chest and fanned his fingers across her bare back.

 

“Yes,” she gasped with her head thrown back so his mouth could ravage her neck, “but it might have backfired.”

 

“How so?” he wondered as he turned to face her more fully.

 

She grabbed his hand and guided it to the juncture between her thighs. It was sopping, and he groaned at the heat there.

 

“I left twice just to mop myself because you had me so turned on,” she breathed into his ear.

 

“Fuck me,” he swore and smothered her mouth with his. Compliant was the word that came to mind as she melted under his touch. A rush of power shot through him when he realized he could probably suggest anything he wanted to her, and she’d most likely agree. When her tongue rubbed against his, he decided to go for it.

 

“Baby, I want to do something we haven’t tried yet. Can we?” he asked as his kisses softened and slowed.

 

Jen’s eyes barely opened, but she nodded and swallowed before asking thickly, “What is it?”

 

“Trust me,” he said softly. “I promise you’ll like it.”

 

He stood and pulled her from the couch. Grabbing her hand, he moved her around the coffee table and helped her down to the floor and onto the fluffy white rug he’d admired before the game began. She looked at him in confusion, but he just smiled and turned her to face away from him. He lay down on his back and guided her to straddle him. When she turned to him in panic, he murmured, “Relax,” and lowered her onto his face.

 

“Oh, shit!” she squealed as his tongue plunged into her slit. He could tell she was just a second from bolting, so he wiggled his tongue deeper and used his hands to steady her. Within seconds he heard her moan and felt her settle onto him more firmly. Her bent legs framed his head, and her hands settled on his abdomen to hold her upright.

 

He didn’t try to talk. He couldn’t anyway with his mouth full of her pussy, but he wasn’t quiet. He groaned deeply in his throat and gurgles of happiness rumbled through his chest as he pillaged her. She smelled so good, and her nakedness while he was still clothed made him harder. The tie from the apron tickled his forehead, so he reached up to untie it and release her. She pulled it from her and stretched above him so wantonly he almost came in his pants. He strained to grasp at her breasts, but he couldn’t reach them so he settled for cupping her ass and pulling her further down on his face.

 

It was so incredibly erotic and sexy and dirty and carnal that he moaned. At the vibration, she shrieked his name and slammed down on him harder several times. His hips bucked upwards in response, and he cursed internally at his clothed state. Suddenly being trapped inside his jeans wasn’t nearly as fun anymore.

 

Jen rode his face with abandon, and he wished he could see her expression so he could know how much she was enjoying it—even though he had a pretty good idea. She tensed against him and chanted his name as he flexed his jaw to swallow more of her and wriggled his tongue deeper. Her thighs tightened against his face, and she yelped incoherently.

 

Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, she reached for his waistband and unbuttoned his jeans. She rocked back against him as she unzipped his pants and fumbled to free his dick. When it sprang free, she groaned and leaned forward toward it. Josh adjusted her on top of him so he could continue to eat her out, but he growled when he heard what she was saying.

 

“Yeah, Josh. You’ve got balls of steel to put up with my shit. Fuck, baby! Keep going,” she grunted before taking him in her mouth.

 

A groan ripped through him when he felt her swallow him. She writhed on top of him as she choked on him, and he could barely breathe he was so riled up. He would have given anything to have a picture of her straddling his face and bending over to suck his dick while he buried his tongue in her pussy.

 

Jen ripped her mouth from his and screamed as she came. Fluid washed over his face, and he pushed up into her to drink her orgasm. She replaced her lips with her hand and jerked him while she wailed and thrashed above him. Her palm stroked him harder as his balls tightened and tingled. He grunted louder and longer as he neared his peak and screamed into her as his dick pumped streams of fluid over her hand, down his partially exposed thigh, and onto the rug below them. He felt his jizz trickle down his leg and onto his jeans with a warm tickle.

 

Jen reared her head back and released a groan so deep within her it reverberated through him. He felt another wave of her climax before she collapsed on top of him. She whimpered and trembled, and Josh felt a rush of affection that pierced him to his core. He pushed her gently from him, sat up, and then pulled her into his lap.

 

His chin nestled on the crown of her head, and he held her while she tried to regain control of herself. She sniffled and shivered as aftershocks shot through her. She clung to him and sought his mouth for reassuring kisses.

 

“It’s okay,” he murmured against her trembling lips. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere. You’re okay. You’re totally okay. Just really, really, really turned on.”

 

She shook against him harder and pressed her lips and legs together to control the spasms, so he held her tighter. Several minutes later, her breath evened out and her body stopped quaking in his arms.

 

He pulled her chin up with his index finger and looked into her eyes. “You okay?” he asked softly.

 

Her jaw quivered and tears flooded her eyes when she nodded. He leaned in to kiss her gently, and she wept, “That was so good.”

 

He smiled softly and kissed her again. “It _was_ good,” he agreed with reverence in his voice. She’d always been open with him. She wasn’t one to hold back with him when they were together, but she’d let walls down neither of them even realized she had. She was stripped so bare to him that it was no surprise she was having trouble dealing with the aftermath.

 

“Why haven’t we ever done that before?” she wailed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

 

“Oh, honey,” he whispered as he kissed her wet face, “because of this. Because what we just did is so intimate it’s earth-shattering.”

 

She nodded vigorously and smiled through her sniffles. “It is. It was. I love you. I love you so much, Josh.”

 

He pulled her tightly against him and cradled her body to his. “I love you too, baby. So, so, so much. You’re everything to me.”

 

She laughed through a sob and asked, “More than a football game?”

 

“Of course! My god, Jen, did you doubt that?” He pulled back to look in her face, his eyes full of confusion.

 

“No. Not really,” she mumbled and her cheeks tinged red. “I mean, you were pretty excited about this game. Shit! The game!”

 

He glanced at the TV and noticed halftime had passed and the game was halfway through the third quarter. He’d been so absorbed in Jen, he hadn’t even noticed.

 

“It’s fine, honey. It’s not over. The Bengals are still winning. I wouldn’t trade what we just shared for fifteen Super Bowl victories, and this isn’t the Super Bowl.” He grinned at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

She smiled at him with a watery grin and sighed, “I’m glad.”

 

“You liked that, huh?” he teased. “Want to try it again sometime?”

 

She nodded and ducked her head. “Why do I feel so embarrassed about this?”

 

“Because it was damn good?” When she half-heartedly glared at him, he answered truthfully, “Because you’ve never been so exposed to me before. Because when an orgasm is that good and the intimacy is so deep, crying is the only relief that works.”

 

She hid her face in the crook of his neck and admitted, “I felt like I was falling apart. Like my insides were on fire.”

 

“I’ll be here to put you back together. Promise,” he crooned gently with the hint of a smile. “I may have ruined your rug, by the way.”

 

With a laugh, she seemed to recover herself a bit. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take it out on you later.”

 

“Which part of me” he teased.

 

She gave him a playful slap on the chest and leaned in to kiss him. With her lips millimeters from his, she whispered, “Your balls of steel.”

 


	32. Rum Balls

                                                                

“Hi, honey! I’m home!”

 

Josh smiled at Jen’s sing-song call from the front door. She sounded like she was in a good mood, and he couldn’t wait to find out what had caused her happiness.

 

“In the kitchen!” he yelled back and waited for his first glimpse of her as she rounded the corner. She leaned against the doorjamb and smiled at him with a wide grin.

 

“Well, isn’t this positively domestic,” she laughed and moved into the room. “Are you my house husband? Puttering around in the kitchen until I come home from work?”

 

“Hardly,” he answered with a rumbling chuckle. “I don’t think either of us are very domestic. Let’s just be real about that.”

 

“I don’t know. I’m playing the queen of mops, and I could see you in an apron,” she teased and moved around the island and into his arms.

 

He waggled his eyebrows at her and kissed her softly before reminding her, “I _did_ see you in an apron, baby. Every single speck of you. And it was fucking sexy.”

 

She blushed a deep red and hung her head. “I kind of forgot about that.”

 

He pulled back to look at her in disbelief. “How the hell do you forget something like that, Jen? You were practically unraveled you felt so good. You’ve never fallen apart like that before. Damn,” he muttered in frustration, “I must not be as good at that as I thought I was.”

 

“Oh, stop. Josh!” she protested. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”  


“Do I?” he asked bitterly. “I can’t stop thinking about it, and you can’t seem to remember it.”

 

“I’m not even going to acknowledge that. That’s completely ridiculous. You know I love your mouth, and I love it on every inch of me.”

 

“Whatever,” he mumbled and turned back to the counter.

 

“Don’t ‘whatever’ me, asshole. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. I meant I didn’t remember that I wore the apron, not that I didn’t remember you making my world explode,” Jen snapped in annoyance.

 

He stood quietly for a moment, his eyes downcast and considering his hands, before he lifted his gaze to hers. “Sorry,” he apologized softly.

 

“You better be,” she argued. “I’m tired of you doubting me.”

 

“I don’t doubt you!” he objected. “I know you love me.”

 

“Then stop thinking the bottom’s going to fall out on us! I’m with you! I’m committed! I’m yours for as long as you want me. Stop fucking pissing me off!” She flailed her hands as she vented her frustrations.

 

“Are you done?” he asked with a chuckle.

 

She heaved a couple of breaths before her mouth turned upward into a grin. “I’m not sure yet. I’m thinking.”

 

“That must be hard on you,” he joked sardonically. “Sometimes that gray matter is tough to get going.”

 

“Not all of us can have your IQ, Josh. Sorry I’m only average.”

 

He snorted and wiped his mouth. “Oh, baby. You are far from average.”

 

She crossed her arms and glared at him in mock anger. “Keep talking, jerk.”

 

He approached her slowly and pulled her gently into his arms. His eyes studied her face, and he leaned forward to press a soothing kiss on her lips. “Forgive me. I won’t do it again.”

 

“Yes, you will,” she muttered. “You will—and that’s not fair to me. I’ve done _nothing_ to give you any reason not to trust me.”

 

“You’re right.”

 

Her head jerked to his. “I’m sorry. Can you say that again?”

 

He gave her a lazy half-smile. “You’re right.”

 

“I didn’t quite hear you,” she teased.

 

He chuckled and admitted loudly, “You’re right, and I am wrong. You are perfect, and I am a flawed, flawed man. I am in awe of you. I stand back and gaze at your flawlessness and wonder how in the world I’m worthy to be in your presence.”

 

“That’s better,” she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Can we move on to something more exciting now? Something actually worth our time? Your doubts are absolutely unnecessary and ridiculous. I love you forever. I think. Maybe.” She winked at him on the last word, and he grinned again.

 

“Any interest in donning an apron a second time? You can practice for your new role,” he asked and quirked an eyebrow at her before shooting her a quick wink. “I’ve decided to make some Christmas presents this year. We baked cakeballs together last year. I thought maybe this time we could try something new. I’ve never made them, but my grandma has, and they can’t be too hard.”

 

She kissed him quickly and agreed, “Sure. What’s on the agenda tonight? I had a good day with my friends, but I need some major boyfriend time tonight. Something mindless and silly and completely us.”

 

“Well, then,” he offered, “shall we make rum balls?”

 

“Rum balls? Rum balls, you say? Is the rum all gone?” she quipped in a booming voice.

 

“Johnny Depp isn’t here, honey, but if we work really hard at it, I’m sure we can make all the alcohol in this house disappear.”

 

She blurted a laugh. “I’m up for trying that.”

 

“Put on your apron then, lovely lady. I might take it off you again later if we get drunk enough.”

 

“You are a tease,” she said coyly as her fingers traced his bicep.

 

“You love every single minute of it, too,” he said and gave her a playful smack on the ass.

 

They settled into a steady rhythm. Josh explained how to make the rum balls, and Jen helped him. After every step, they each took a swing of alcohol, which made the entire process a lot more fun.

 

Josh explained after his first drink, “First we have to crush up a bunch of vanilla wafers.”

 

“Why vanilla wafers?” she asked as she pulled her lips from the bottle.

 

“Because that’s what the recipe says. Why is that a question?” He pried her fingers from the rum and cleaned the rim with his t-shirt before placing it back on the counter. In the grand scheme of things, he knew the alcoholic content would kill any germs either of them smeared on the bottle, but he didn’t want to tempt fate either. He had another bottle of rum hiding in his bar along with a jug of bourbon, but he was afraid Jen would insist they drink the entire container if he admitted that to her.

 

She opened a box of the cookies and immediately put a handful of them in her mouth. “Yum,” she mumbled as crumbs fell from her lips

 

“Very sanitary, honey,” he laughed and took the bag from her. “You are a hot mess.”

 

“Hey, you asked for my help.”

 

“True. It’s way more fun with you. It’d be more fun if you were naked underneath that apron,” he admitted and poured the wafers into a plastic sandwich bag. He handed her the rolling pin, which he’d had to purchase earlier that afternoon because hell if he owned one, and cautioned her, “Be careful, but I think you’ll like this job. All you have to do is roll this back and forth over the bag without popping it until all the cookies are crumbs.”

 

“Oh, I’ve got this,” she said as a look of concentration creased her face. “You just leave this to me—right after I take another drink of this lovely beverage.” She downed another swig and burped after it burned its way down her throat.

 

“I am in love with a lady. So feminine.” He shook his head and threw a cookie at her. One of his favorite things about her was her ability to hold her own with the guys at the same time she took his breath away. There was no doubt in his mind she was all woman. She had every curve to prove it, and he’d inspected each of them with his hands and his tongue. She was delectable in every way.

 

At first, she used caution, but that went away fairly quickly, and she banged the rolling pin onto the counter to crush the cookies. Josh winced after the first few times. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’d never use a rolling pin on you.” She laughed at his expression and handed him the rum. “Take another drink. You need to loosen up.”

 

He allowed another swig to burn its way down his throat and felt the heat flow to his extremities. He could hold his liquor, but he was starting to think that maybe he didn’t really want to.

 

She continued to pound away at the bags of cookies, and he measured out cups of cocoa to mix with the powdered sugar. As he sifted the two powders together, he observed how neatly they seemed to blend together. He smiled slightly and took another drink of rum before deciding to share his deeply enlightened thought with her.

 

“Baby?”

 

“Hmmm?” she grunted as her tongue peeked between her lips in intense concentration.

 

“We go together so well. Just like this cocoa and sugar.”

 

She raised her head to look at him and said, “Huh?”

 

He handed her the bottle of alcohol and expounded on his theory. “You and me. We’re like this stuff. I’m cocoa, and you’re the powdered sugar. You’re white and delicate and so, so sweet, and I’m a little bitter and slightly coarser, but then when you sift us together, we blend so well no one would think we weren’t made for each other.”

 

She gaped at him with a mixture of adoration and bewilderment. “Wow,” she blurted as she shook her head. “That was… Well, that was pure horseshit, Josh, but it was eloquent as hell and kind of beautiful.”

 

“Hey!” he cried. “What do you mean it’s horseshit? That was supposed to be romantic and loving.”

 

“Oh, honey. It was. It is,” she babbled as she took another swig of the rum. “But that was just out of left field.”

 

Josh pouted as he measured more ingredients and sifted them together. “Fine. I won’t talk about how much I love you anymore if you’re going to be that way.”

 

“Don’t be like that. Have another drink,” she suggested.

 

He grabbed the bottle from her and sucked down another long draw. “Don’t mind if I do.” His lips felt slightly numb, and he glanced at the bottle to see that they’d downed over half, almost two-thirds, of it. He wasn’t surprised, but he wondered how that had happened so quickly and how they were going to remain coherent enough to finish the recipe if they kept drinking like they had been so far.

 

She leaned across the counter toward him and grabbed the neck of his t-shirt to steady herself. With hot breath, she said, “I like your analogy. We’re pretty perfect together.”

 

“You just said it was horseshit, Jennifer.”

 

“I reconsidered over my last drink,” she slurred. “It’s fucking brilliant now that I’ve thought about it.”

 

He pressed his lips to hers and slid his tongue along the roof of her mouth. She tasted like alcohol, and he was sure he did, too. His arms felt a little heavy, but he wrapped them around her to pull her tighter against the countertop.

 

“It’s not brilliant. We’re just drinking.”

 

“Same damn difference,” she said with a bob of her head.

 

“I promise to grope your ass if you finish those cookies in the next five minutes.”

 

She pounded the rolling pin harder at his words, and he moved around the counter to caress her. She leaned back against him as she worked the bag, and he wished it was him she was molding with her hands.

 

“Don’t distract me,” she mumbled and then laughed. “I’m just kidding. Do. Alright, I’m done. What’s next?”

 

He glanced at the recipe and stammered, “We, uh, we have to mix the rum with the syrup now. I think we’re going to need more rum.”

 

“Oh my god! Why is the rum always gone?” she shrieked before throwing one hand up in the air and gulping from the bottle.

 

He rolled his eyes and deadpanned, “You already used that joke once tonight, darling. Just because you’re drunk doesn’t mean you get to reuse it because you can’t think of anything new to say.”

 

“Pffthhhhh,” she sputtered, and he wiped his face.

 

“Thanks for the rum shower. Maybe you should stop.”

 

“Stop schmop. Rum bum. You have a good bum, Joshy.” She smirked at him and grabbed a handful of his bottom. He jumped when she pinched him.

 

“Okay,” he laughed as he pulled away from her, “keep drinking. I’m getting another bottle.”

 

“Yesssssssss...” she hissed and wrapped her lips around the rim. She ran her mouth up and down the neck of the bottle a couple of times and winked at him before taking another sip.

 

Josh glared at her, but he wasn’t really feeling too angry. He was too tipsy for that, and her mouth gave him lots and lots of idea. More ideas than he could ponder at this point if he wanted to finish the rum balls.

 

He plunked the second bottle of rum down on the counter and waved the bourbon in front of her face. “If I promise to let you have some of this, will you refrain from drinking this rum?”

 

“Refrain?” she asked with raised eyebrows. “Refrain. My, my, my. I shall endeavor to impede my drinking.”

 

The both dissolved into giggles, but Josh managed to sputter, “How very benevolent of you to abstain from drunken debauchery.”

 

She held her hand out for the bourbon and joked, “You can use as many big words as you want, but I’m gonna revel in debauchery as soon as we get these rum balls made. Let’s roll these balls so I can roll yours.”

 

“Baby, you can’t just say things like that and expect me not to want to bend you over the counter and ram you from behind.”

 

She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it before raising the bottle to her lips again and running the tip of her tongue along the rim. “That would be a real shame,” she purred with a piercing look.

 

He cursed under his breath and handed her the syrup and a tablespoon. “Wash your hands and measure out two of these. I’ll pour the rum. I don’t trust you with the new bottle.” He measured out a half cup and then tipped an extra couple of splashes into the bowl before stirring in the syrup. He ripped open the bag of walnuts and poured some into the bag of crushed cookies before he trusted himself to look at his girlfriend—who happened to have the first bottle of rum turned upside down to empty it down her throat.

 

She burped again and giggled before she slurred, “What’s next with the balls? Can I fondle them yet?”

 

Josh felt his cock twitch and his own balls tingle at her words and pulled the empty bottle from her hand. She swayed and snorted in his face, and he attempted to steady her before realizing he needed help staying upright, too. He grabbed at the counter with one hand and wrapped his other arm firmly around her waist.

 

“We just have to mix this all up and then make the balls.”

 

“Make them what?” she asked in confusion. “Dance? Ooooooo…Can we make them dance, Joshy? Dancing balls! Best. Thing. Ever!”

 

His head spun a little, but he enunciated carefully, “No dancing balls. Just balls. We just have to make the dough into balls. Then you can make my balls dance.”

 

She turned into him and ran her hand down his chest before poking at him with her index finger. “You’re a really good dancer, honey. Will you shake your ass for me later? I wanna see everything bounce.” She rubbed against him as she hummed into his ear.

 

“Jen,” he begged in a strained voice, “please calm down. Let’s finish the balls first.”

 

“That’s what I was _trying_ to do, and you keep cock blocking me.”

 

He steadied her and leaned her upright against the counter before throwing the ingredients in a large bowl and mixing it quickly. He pulled some empty tins with green and red doilies in the bottom from a bag on the table, dug small amounts of the mixture out, and rolled them into rounded shapes. Jen mimicked his actions without speaking, and it took only a few minutes before they were done. Josh snapped the lids on the tins and turned to the sink to wash his hands.

 

When they were both clean, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. His hands found their way to her apron string and untied it before running his palms along the smooth, warm skin of her stomach. When she moaned into his mouth, he picked her up and set her on the counter without breaking the kiss. She leaned back and he climbed on top of her, knocking the empty bowl and the box of vanilla wafers onto the floor in the process.

 

“Josh,” she groaned, “I’ve got cookie crumbs on my ass.”

 

“Don’t care,” he grunted as he slipped his hand underneath her short skirt and spread her legs before settling himself in between them. His denim covered erection poked into her heat, and he wondered how long it would be before she begged him to slide into her.

 

She wrapped her legs around his waist and breathed into his mouth as he kissed her, but she was too far gone to stay with him. The answering pulse of her hips against his slowed, and he groaned in frustration. Her arms hung limply around his neck, and she mumbled, “So tired.”

 

“You’re not tired, honey,” he sighed. “You’re drunk.”

 

She grinned lazily with closed eyes and agreed. “Feels really good.” Her head lolled to the side, and she exhaled loudly.

 

“I’m not getting laid right now, am I?” he asked in disappointment.

 

She nodded without opening her eyes, “Take me to bed, Joshy. Bring the rum, too.”

 

“I don’t think you need anymore,” he said softly.

 

She peeked one of her eyes open at him before offering, “Well, I was hoping to drink it off your abs, but if you don’t want to see where my mouth goes after that, then you can leave it here.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, “I’ve got the rum. Let’s go to bed.”

 

The next morning the rum was all gone except for small traces of it on the bed sheets where it had slid from his body and escaped her tongue.

 


	33. Snowball

                                                                    

 

“Come in!” Jen yelled from the end of the hall before entering her living room with a bag of chips and a pack of candy.

 

Josh opened the door and called, “Hey, honey! You ready to go?”

 

“In here!” Jen put her feet up on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch as she hit the pause button on her remote. The program had just started again when Josh rounded the corner and took in the scene.

 

“Uh, Jen,” he started.

 

“What?” she mumbled through a mouthful of chips.

 

He skirted the side of her couch and sat down on the far edge. “Is there a reason you’re not ready to go?”

 

“Go where? What the hell are you talking about?” she sputtered and waved her arms in the air. “I just sat down. I thought you were coming over to hang out today.”

 

Josh’s face fell, and it became apparent he was more than chagrined when he spoke again. “Shit. I forgot to tell you, didn’t I?”

 

When Jen saw the serious expression on his face, she hit the pause button again and sat up to face him more fully. “What did you forget to tell me? What’s going on?”

 

He cursed softly under his breath and gulped before raising his eyes to hers. “I’m sorry, Jen. I asked Liz a couple of weeks ago to make sure you were free the next couple of days and didn’t have anything you’d have to miss if I planned this, but then I guess I forgot to tell you about it. I just kind of assumed I had.”

 

“Tell. Me. What?!” she screeched. “Come on. What are you hiding? Is this bad?”

 

“No! No, it’s not bad. It’s good!” Josh assured her. “I got us a cabin at Mountain High for the next couple of days. I thought maybe it’d be nice to get out of LA. Maybe enjoy some cooler weather to get us in the mood for Christmas. You know, like Kentucky. It’s hard to feel like Christmas is coming when it’s 65 degrees outside.”

 

Jen watched him for a few seconds before her face broke out into a huge smile. “I don’t have to ski, do I?”

 

“No,” he grinned, “not as long as it’s okay with you if I take a few runs by myself.”

 

She threw herself at him with a squeal and kissed him solidly on the mouth. “Give me 15 minutes. I have to pack.”

 

He kissed her back and followed her down the hall to her bedroom. “You want some help? I’m really sorry I forgot to tell you. I’m the worst at remembering stuff like that, aren’t I?”

 

“You aren’t great,” she agreed and tossed a bag at him. “Here you go. I’ll throw stuff on the bed. You shove it in that bag. I’ll be done in a few minutes if you help.”

 

Jen moved through her closest grabbing sweaters, flannel, and leggings and flinging them into the room. Hardly any of them landed on the bed, but Josh knew better than to tease her about that when he’d screwed up so royally.

 

“So, yeah. I had the idea a few weeks ago when you’d just gotten back from Thanksgiving. I thought maybe it’d be good to take some time away after the crazy of the premiere, but I knew the weekends would be nuts. So, then I just figured we could go during the week as long as neither of us had meetings. That’s why I asked Liz—because I know neither of us ever have a clue what’s going on unless someone’s telling us when and where to be somewhere. Good thing we have our own Effies.”

 

“Our own what?” Jen’s voice came from deep within her closest, and he had to laugh at her confusion.

 

“Effie. You know, someone to boss us around and tell us where to go.”

 

She poked her head out of the closet and threw a handful of lingerie at him. “I’ll tell you where to go,” she teased with a wink.

 

“I know my way around you,” he tossed back and fumbled with the sheer fabric in his hands. It didn’t take long for the blood to rush to his groin as he imagined her wearing the gauzy fabrics.

 

He jumped when her hand caressed his neck, and she purred in his ear, “You certainly do, baby.”

 

“Jen,” he warned, “be good or we’re never going to get there.”

 

“What’s wrong with delaying it for a few minutes? Won’t the ride up there be that much better if we’re both relaxed?” She trailed her fingers down his arm until her index finger traced the veins in his hands. She grinned when she saw him tremble under her touch.

 

He raised his darkened eyes to hers and said thickly, “I thought maybe making love in front of the fireplace would be more appealing.” She smiled softly and slipped her shirt from her shoulders to expose her bare torso. He gulped at the sight of her full breasts but stayed quiet.

 

“What’s wrong with doing both?” she whispered.

 

He reached for her and ran his hands up her sides to palm her. His thumbs flickered over her nipples before he pulled her in between his legs and drew one into his mouth. His tongue flitted over her until it peaked, and he twisted to bring her down on the bed next to him.

 

“A quickie?” he panted as he slid her leggings down and found her slit with his fingers.

 

She bit her bottom lip and nodded with a moan. Her hands fumbled with his zipper until he was free. She stroked him a few times before rolling him over and straddling him. His fingers spread her open as she sank onto his length, and they both groaned in fulfillment.

 

“Don’t think this is your reward for forgetting to tell me about the trip,” she gasped as her hips rocked against his.

 

He didn’t answer. His eyes were closed, his lips barely parted, and the apples of his cheeks flushed as his hands guided her on top of him. His grip tightened as she rose off him and then loosened as she slid back down his length. Their pace quickened until it was frantic. They hadn’t seen each other for a couple of days, and it was apparent in the way their bodies reacted to each other.

 

“Jen, baby,” he grunted and opened his eyes to watch her thrash on top of him. His mouth hung open in wonder as hers gaped and her tits bounced under his gaze. He tightened and came with a tortured cry, and she ground against him harder. She yelped until he dropped his thumb to her clit and rubbed her to orgasm. They collapsed together on her unmade bed, surrounded by her clothing, and gasped for breath.

 

“Well, I feel better,” she huffed after several minutes. “Almost enough to forgive you for not telling me what you had planned.”

 

“Mission accomplished then,” he managed to wheeze as he gulped in a lungful of air.

 

His words caused her to laugh so hard she snorted, which set him off, and the two shrieked in hilarity for several more minutes until they both calmed. Her head lay on his clothed shoulder, and she stretched to place a kiss on the curve of his neck.

 

“Love you, Joshy. Even if you are a man with a shitty memory.”

 

He hugged her closer and traced her side with his fingertips until she jerked against him. “Love you, too, my beautiful and very ticklish girlfriend.”

 

“Don’t you dare! We’ll never get out of here if you start,” she warned, and Josh dropped his hands.

 

“You’re right,” he agreed and struggled to sit up. “We need to leave before traffic gets bad.”

 

She wrestled her clothes back into place and rose from the bed. “Let me grab my toiletries out of the bathroom. Can you throw the rest of this in my bag?”

 

“I got you.” He stuffed the clothing in and closed the zipper before tucking himself back in his jeans and securing his own attire. Within minutes, they were in his jeep and speeding along the freeway and out of LA before traffic bogged down.

 

The trip to Mountain High took less than two hours, which put them into the resort just as the sun lowered in the west to cast long shadows on the pine trees surrounding the lodge. The crisp air smelled amazing after the smoggy atmosphere of Los Angeles, and Josh hurried to check-in so they could get to their cabin and away from the crowds. The last thing he wanted was for their presence at the resort to result in unwanted attention for either of them. He had them checked in and out in minutes and drove his Jeep to their cabin.

 

“Hold tight, Jen,” he said as he hopped from the vehicle and headed to the door. “I’ll get the door unlocked and get our bags.” He shoved the key in the card reader and turned back to grab their suitcases when a snowball smacked him the face.

 

“What the—” he sputtered while Jen laughed hysterically. “Oh, you’re gonna get it now.” He took a running leap off the steps and tackled her. They landed in the snow bank in front of the cabin.

 

“Josh! Don’t! What are you doing?” she squealed as he smashed a handful of snow into her hair.

 

“Getting back at you for that snowball,” he growled and nuzzled her neck. He seized in shock when another patch of snow found its way under his collar and down his back. “Oh, shit, that’s cold.”

 

She kicked at him and wriggled to get out from underneath him. “You asked for it!” she gasped between snorts of laughter. “Oh my god!” she shrieked when he shoved another handful of snow underneath the hem of her coat.

 

“Don’t mess with me, sweetheart. You should know by now not to— Oh, holy fuck!”

 

Josh jumped to his feet and shook his jeans, but it was too late. The handful of snow she’d thrust down his pants melted on his dick, and he felt his balls shrinking as the icy water soaked into his jeans.

 

“Well, that snowballed, didn’t it?” Jen laughed. She almost felt sorry for him as he hopped from his left foot to his right in an attempt to thaw his privates. “Oh, sweetie,” she chuckled, “I’ll warm them up for you later.”

 

“Truce,” he gasped and reached down to help her from the snow. “Let’s get inside and get dry and warm. The desk clerk said they already lit a fire for us.”

 

“That sounds good except that I’d kind of rather get wet and warm.”

 

He looked at her with a forlorn expression and admitted, “That does sound better, but someone froze my nuts.”

 

“Yeah, but think how much fun it’ll be to unfreeze them.” With a wink, she pushed the door to the cabin open and walked into the sitting area. It was lit with dimmed spotlights that were recessed into the arched ceiling and glowing flames in the fireplace.

 

“Not too shabby for something I forgot to tell you about, huh?” His breath skimmed her neck as he stood behind her.

 

She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Why do I even put up with you?”

 

“Because you love me.” His voice softened as he cupped her jaw in his hands and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

 

She pushed into his hand and sighed deeply. “I do. Whether you deserve it or not.”

 

“Funny, Jen. I’m going to go put on some dry pants. Want to slip into something more comfortable? Something that might cover you up a little less?”

 

“That depends.”

 

“On what?”

 

“On whether or not you’re going to be waiting for me with some spiked hot chocolate,” she suggested.

 

“Done,” he answered. “Go get changed.”

 

He slid a dry t-shirt on over his head before dropping his wet jeans from his hips and grabbing a pair of sweats from his duffel. Slipping them on, he made his way into the kitchen he’d paid to have fully stocked. He found a couple of mugs and poured water into each before opening the microwave and setting the timer for two minutes. He opened several cabinets before he found packets of flavored cocoa. The microwave buzzed, and he cursed under his breath when the mugs burned his fingertips. After setting them quickly on the counter, he moved to the bar and found a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps and another of Baileys Irish Cream to mix with the beverage.

 

Josh had settled onto the cushy sofa in front of the fire with the drinks in front of him when he heard Jen purr from behind him, “Is one of those for me?”

 

He stood quickly and turned to answer her, but his voice got caught in his throat. She stood in the doorway with one hand on the doorjamb and the other on her cocked hip. Her hair was pulled up in a clip with a few wisps framing her face and brushing her bare shoulders. She wore a petal pink babydoll negligee with ruffles that framed her breasts and fell to the curve of her hips. She turned slowly in a circle, and he could see the pale pink g-string with gold stitching peeking from beneath. He stood speechless until Jen crossed the room and stilled in front of him.

 

“I said, ‘Is one of those for me?’” Her lips traced along his jaw and landed softly on his lips before he was able to move.

 

He nodded shortly and gasped, “Take whatever you want. It’s all yours.”

 

She chuckled softly and traced his pectoral muscles with her index finger before moving down to his abs. She smiled as he hardened underneath his sweatpants and then crooned in his ear, “That’s what I like to hear, baby.”

 

She sat and patted the spot next to her until he sank onto the couch. His eyes didn’t leave her as she leaned forward to pour some Schnapps into the cocoa. She stirred each and handed him one. He mirrored her as she lifted hers to her lips and took a sip. His lips trembled when she ran the tip of her tongue along her top lip and caught the bottom one between her teeth.

 

“I don’t know about you, Josh, but that quickie earlier wasn’t nearly enough to make up for missing you the past few days. What do you think?”

 

“Yes! I mean, no! I mean… I don’t know how to answer that,” he squeaked.

 

She reached for his mug, pulled it from his shaking hands, and set his and hers on the coffee table. “I’m just saying that maybe we should take it slower this time,” she whispered. He nodded in awe but didn’t move. “Touch me, Josh.”

 

He shifted then, so slowly that she yearned for him before his rough palm settled on the smooth skin of her bare thigh. She longed to reach for him, but she wanted to give him the time he needed to explore her before she gave into what she wanted.

 

His face showed reverence as he cupped her chin and pulled her toward him. His lips sought hers before sliding down her neck and trailing a path of moisture along her collarbone. His tongue slid into her cleavage and laved the swell of her breasts before she allowed her hands to lift to his broad shoulders and grip his biceps.

 

“Oh, Jennifer,” he moaned as his mouth found her nipple through the gauzy fabric and sucked it into his mouth. The hand on her thigh slid upwards to fumble with the edge of her panties.

 

“Josh,” she keened as her hand fell to his lap and grazed against his erection. He groaned at the contact and leaned forward to push her back into the cushions.

 

As his weight settled on her, she slid his sweats from his hips and freed his straining cock. She fondled his balls and smirked with satisfaction that they bore no negative effects from the snow bath she’d given them earlier. He shed his shirt and settled onto her again. His mouth traced the curves of her shoulders and torso, and she wrapped her bare legs around his waist. His hips jerked, and his erection poked into her heat.

 

“Jen,” he panted, and his voice filled with desire so intense it sounded like pain.

 

“What, baby?” she gasped as she fought to control herself.

 

“I don’t think this is going to be slow.” He could barely keep his eyes open, and his jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried to hold himself steady.

 

With ragged breaths, she pled, “Don’t try. Just fuck me.”

 

He reached down to push her panties to the side and plunged in with a powerful thrust. A groan ripped from his chest, and she whimpered as she stretched to fit him. His mouth sought hers until their tongues tangled, and then they both lost control. She locked her ankles at his hips and raised hers to meet his as he plunged into her repeatedly.

 

“Oh, fuck, you feel amazing,” he moaned as he pistoned into her. His hands tangled in her hair, and his tongue mirrored the actions of his shaft as it slid in and out of her.

 

The warmth from his body soaked through the sheer cloth of her negligee, and she felt a coil of heat tingle in her abdomen and spread out to her limbs. She gasped his name against his lips as the tension built. When it exploded, she whimpered into his mouth, “I love you so much.”

 

“Jen,” he panted. “Oh, god, baby. I can’t… I’m gonna… Oh, shit, I love you, too!”

 

His body shook against hers as he emptied into her, and she cradled him against her as he trembled and released. Moans and grunts filled the air as they rode out the length of their climaxes and collapsed together in the softness of the sofa.

 

After several minutes, Josh lifted his head to gaze at her with a dazed expression. “Best fucking idea I ever had was to come here. Fire. Sex. Schnapps. You in this…whatever this is. Don’t wake me up, Jen. This has to be a dream.”

 

She smiled softly and pinched his naked ass. “It’s real, baby. I’m no dream.”

 

His head fell against her shoulder in exhaustion, and he sighed, “I’m too tired to even make a joke about you being a nightmare.”

 

“Good. Then I won’t shove a snowball down your pants again tomorrow.”

 

“Only if it snowballs into this,” he trailed off as he slipped into sleep with his head on her shoulder and a smile on his face.

 


	34. Christmas Balls

                                                                 

 

Josh leaned over cautiously and placed the last two ornaments he held onto Jen’s Christmas tree. He was precise because he was aware that her first tree in her new home held an importance she couldn’t express. Regardless, he understood it. He remembered the significance of every big event he’d enjoyed when he’d bought the Tree House. Everything had been a thrill, even though he’d tried to downplay it to his friends and family.

 

He was delighted his girlfriend was getting to experience the same excitement he’d enjoyed a couple of years prior, and he wanted to do everything in his power to help her enjoy it to the fullest.

 

“Jen, hand me some more balls,” he asked without thinking and promptly burst into laughter. “And please be gentle.”

 

“Hmm. Yes, Josh,” she murmured as she surveyed his backside. “I could probably handle your balls about right now. I could, but you might get distracted, and the last thing I want you to do while you’re up on that ladder is to lose your balance and knock over my Christmas tree.”

 

“I don’t know, sweetie. It might be worth it,” he teased and hung another colored glass ornament on the tree.

 

With a laugh, she argued, “For you, maybe. What guy _doesn’t_ want a blowjob, even if you do happen to be five feet off the ground?”

 

“Well, it’s the perfect height. You don’t even have to bend down.” He was kidding, but it was clear Jen wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.

 

“Woooooooooow...” she said with wide eyes. “Wow, wow, wow.”

 

“What?” he asked in mock outrage. “You’re not going to service me any time I ask?”

 

She snorted at that as she finally decided he didn’t really mean what he’d said. “I service you plenty, and thank you for taking care of me, too,” she teased.

 

“So…you gonna?”

 

“Hardly,” she sniffed. “It doesn’t sound very fun to me. All I can envision is a broken Christmas tree and a lot of ‘cheer’ all over my face.”

 

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it now? Christmas ‘cheer?’” He shook his head and wiggled a little for her so as to make it worth her while to check out his ass.

 

“Well, I know you aren’t sad when you come on a special night. Pun intended.”

 

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her bad humor and her propensity to butcher Christmas song lyrics. “Santa’s the one that comes around on a special night.”

 

“Then Santa needs to dress up in a fuzzy red suit and knock boots with me more often.”

 

“Sex with boots on? Yeah, not really my thing. Besides, I don’t hear you complaining when you join me in that ‘cheer.’ Come on. I even dressed the goods in holiday decorations.” He pulled the waistband of his boxers over his jeans so she could see the images of wrapped gifts on his underwear.

 

“How about you decorate the top of the tree and quit trying to get in my pants, Hutch?”

 

“I’m trying to get you into _my_ pants, Jen. I even wrapped up some balls for you like the presents they are. I don’t think you can hang them on your tree, though.”

 

“Oh, Joshy,” she said with a shake of her head, “you’ve got to stop.”

 

“Well, there’s no fun in that,” he pouted in mock despair.

 

“Come on, babe. There’s plenty of fun. This is all just foreplay anyway,” she said as she trailed her fingers over the Christmas ball ornaments.

 

He raised an eyebrow in appraisal and whistled. “Foreplay, huh? So, do I get to unwrap you later?”

 

“Oh, no. I’m definitely going to unwrap _you_. Here you go, baby,” she said as she handed him more ornaments. “Take care of those balls. They’re precious cargo as far as I’m concerned.”

 

He called after her as she moved down the hall, “Trust me. I don’t want my balls broken any more than you do!”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Keep hanging,” she tossed back at him.

 

“I’m hanging fine, Jen. Come back here, and I’ll show you.”

 

Her voice moved further away, and she yelled, “I’m going to order piiiiiiizzaaaaaa! I’ll feed you when you’re done decorating—in more ways than one.”

 

“Looking forward to it,” he quipped.

 

An hour later, the tree was adorned, and they sat on the floor and leaned against the couch together to appreciate the lights.

 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she observed after swallowing a bite of food and gesturing toward the tree.

 

He shrugged and answered, “I’ve seen better.” She turned to him in disbelief, but his facial expression stopped her. He was looking at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world, and it melted her heart.

 

He leaned into her and brushed his lips against hers. She smelled like pizza, and he could make out a faint trace of her perfume. Tomato sauce and sandalwood. Who would have thought the combination would turn him on?

 

“Jen,” he breathed against her lips, and she squeaked a response. “I don’t want to let you go tomorrow. I hate the thought of spending Christmas without you.”

 

She tilted her head and opened her mouth under his. As his tongue slid against hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter. A moan escaped her when his hands slipped under the back of her shirt and traced up and down her spine. Without realizing it, she climbed into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. He chased her mouth with his until he was straining against her in an attempt to get closer.

 

“I love you,” she breathed into his neck and traced her tongue up to his jawline.

 

He groaned deep in his throat and groped for more of her bare skin. “Fuck, Jen. I can’t believe how quickly you can get me hard. I could jack up a truck to change a flat tire with my dick right now.”

 

She rocked her hips against him to create friction but tore her mouth from his after just a few strokes. “We should stop,” she gasped.

 

“Why?” he whined and pursued her mouth with his. “I hung all your balls. Mine need some attention now.”

 

She grinned at his needy plea and cupped his face in her palms. She pressed her lips gently against his with the intention of pulling away, but she couldn’t stop kissing him. When he tugged her toward him by her hips and his hard length rubbed against her crotch, she grunted in frustration and wailed, “I bought a teddy especially for tonight.”

 

He swept his tongue through her mouth and sucked her bottom lip into his. With a soft bite, he suggested, “Tell me about it.”

 

“Shit,” she cursed and rocked her hips against his again. “It’s red—”

 

When she whimpered and leaned her forehead against his, he murmured, “I love you in red. So sexy.”

 

“White fur… White fur and jingle bells.”

 

His mouth moved over her shirt and latched onto her breast. He breathed in slowly and as deeply as he could until she thunked her head against his as he suckled her. She bit her lip as he blew hot air against her nipple and then flicked it through the coarse cotton of her shirt.

 

“Oh, screw it. I give up. I’ll wear the fucking nightgown another day. I need your dick inside me now,” she groaned in desperation.

 

“Merry Christmas to me. Let me be your man ho ho ho.”

 

She snickered and attempted to pull away. “You just ruined it, honey,” she laughed as she grinned at him.

 

“I don’t think it’s really ruined, Jennifer,” he said with determination and bucked upwards into her. Her eyes flickered and rolled back into her head, and it wasn’t long before her hips undulated against his in a long, slow, deliberate rhythm.

 

Her ragged breathing quickened as she rocked against him, but she protested again, “Maybe I should go put it on. The lingerie I bought for you. Easier access that way.”

 

He groaned and allowed his arms to fall to his sides. “Whatever you’re going to do, just do it, Jennifer. We have 15 hours until you leave me for the airport, and I don’t want to waste a second arguing about whether or not you’re going to wear something sexy for me or not. But hurry up, whatever you do. I’m so hard it hurts.”

 

“Two minutes!” she yelped and sprinted to her bedroom. “Leave your boxers on! I want to unwrap the last layer.”

 

By the time she returned, Josh had undressed down to his boxers and turned off all the lights except those that twinkled on the Christmas tree. When she stood before him, silhouetted against the cheery glow, he growled low in his throat.

 

“I must have been very, very nice this year.”

 

“Or very, very naughty,” she said with a sexy pout.

 

“You look so nice it’s naughty, Jennifer. You’re a pretty nice surprise to find by the Christmas tree.”

 

He crooked his finger at her, and she walked slowly toward the couch where he sat. The red fabric was sheer and just skimmed the tops of her thighs. A thin line of white fur bordered the sweetheart neckline, and two bells that graced the ends of a small bow made of ribbon fell into the hollow between her breasts.

 

“Felicia and Laurel wanted to be your presents this year.”

 

He grinned at her reference to the silly nicknames he’d given her body parts a few weeks prior and asked huskily, “Why the sudden interest in sexy negligees, baby? I mean, I’m not complaining, but first the pink one from the trip to Mountain High and now this one. You’re spoiling me.”

 

She stopped in front of him, and he glided his palms up the smooth skin of her outer thighs and rolled the straps from her g-string over the curve of her hips. When she sighed, he drug her panties down her legs until they pooled in a small pile at her feet.

 

“Let’s spoil each other,” she murmured and sank onto him. The heat between her legs grazed the bare skin of his upper thigh before settling onto his tented boxers. A moan ripped from him as she pressed her scantily clad body against his. The fur tickled his chest, and the faint tinkling of the bells echoed through the room.

 

She ground against him, and evidence of her enjoyment fell from her lips. She rubbed her slit against his length until he could feel her arousal dampen the fabric of his boxers.

 

“Fuck, Jen,” he grunted as her hips jerked against him harder, “let me inside you.”

 

Softs sounds of pleasure gurgled in her throat, but she shook her head at him in a sharp nod. “It’s not Christmas yet. I can’t unwrap my presents early.”

 

“Shit, baby. Please don’t do this to me,” he begged. He sounded pathetic, but he didn’t care. He was almost desperate with want.

 

“Josh…” she whimpered and pushed against him harder. “Oh gawd!”

 

When she wailed, she arched her back and writhed against him as she reached a pinnacle. Josh felt a wave of moisture through his boxers and swore loudly.

 

“Fuuuck,” he groaned and flipped her over so her back landed on the couch. He shoved his boxers down and pulled her toward him until he was sheathed inside her.

 

His vantage point made his experience that much more enjoyable. He perched on his knees with her splayed below him and gripped the curve of her hips with one hand so they were raised just enough off the couch to meet his frenzied thrusts. His other hand ran up her torso and palmed her until he found her hand and threaded their fingers together.

 

Her eyes were closed, her lips were parted slightly, and her face reflected a pleasure so intense it made him snarl. She keened and mewled as he pushed into her. When he felt his balls tingle, he raised one of her legs to rest against his torso. He turned his head to trail kisses along her ankle that rested on his shoulder until his body convulsed, and he spilled into her.

 

“Jennifer,” he shouted as his hips jerked against her until she screamed his name in response.

 

He saw her back arch again and then he lost vision. Balls of color burst in front of his eyes and his body pulsed and spasmed. His ejaculation felt as if it was he who’d been ripped from his body, and he slumped forward onto the couch. Several minutes passed before she could gather enough control to speak.

 

“Josh,” Jen mumbled and moved to shift him off her slightly and more onto her couch. When he didn’t answer, she tried again and shook his shoulder.

 

He groaned and blinked his eyes a few times before stammering, “I— You— We— _Shit_!”

 

“Are you alright?” she asked with concern. “Your heartbeat is a little erratic.”

 

“I can’t breathe very well, Jen,” he admitted.

 

“Maybe we need to eat a little less pizza and run a few laps together instead.”

 

“I’m serious.”

 

“So am I.”

 

“Jen, help me, please. I really can’t breathe.” His gasps for air finally alerted her that something wasn’t right.

 

She shot up and reached for him to rub his back. “What’s wrong, honey? Oh my god, are you okay?” she shrieked. She rolled him off his side and onto his back, but his chest continued to heave for air. Fear gripped him, and he reached for her face.

 

“Baby, don’t go,” he choked through his closed throat as she started to rise from the couch.

 

She shook him off and stood. “I have to get help. Fucking hell, Josh. Please be okay.”

 

“Don’t _go_ , dammit!”

 

She stopped in shock and stared at him before sinking to perch next to him on the couch. She observed him silently until he pulled her down against him and clung to her.

 

“Breathe, baby.  Just breathe for me.  In and out.  Inhale and exhaled.  Deep breaths,” she crooned in an attempt to soothe him.  He gulped several times until he’d calmed slightly and finally loosened his grip.

 

“Don’t go,” he sniveled as his eyes filled with fluid.

 

“I’m right here, Joshy. What’s wrong?”

 

He nestled her head under his chin and struggled to control the thickness in his throat and chest. He wondered how he’d missed it before, but now he understood what had been bothering him for the past few days.

 

“I don’t want you to go,” he admitted in a broken voice.

 

“I’m not. I stopped. I’m here.”

 

A sob tore from his throat, and he clarified as he clutched her closer, “I don’t want you to leave me. You’re leaving me tomorrow.”

 

She laughed softly in relief and pressed against him. “Josh, I’m not leaving you. I’m just going home for Christmas. You’re coming home four days after me for the Louisville/UK game.”

 

“I know all that,” he grumbled and sniffed again. “Fuck! Why am I so upset about this?”

 

“Are you really upset?” She leaned her head back to look at him more clearly, but he averted his eyes from her. “Hey! Look at me.”

 

“Don’t wanna.”

 

She rolled on top of him and kissed him. He felt the tightness in his throat lesson with her lips on his again. His hands caressed her body feverishly, and he was reminded of the sexiness of her outfit. Her mouth slanted over his, and their tongues danced against each other’s for several minutes before she released him to come up for air.

 

“You ready to talk about it yet?” she asked him as her eyes swept tenderly over his face. “By the way, don’t ever scare me like that again. I thought you were dying.”

 

He flushed and shifted his eyes to the tree they’d decorated together earlier in the day in order to avoid her gaze.

 

“I thought I was dying, too. I— I’m really embarrassed,” he admitted. “I haven’t freaked out like that since I found out my first kiss was going to be on a movie set.”

 

“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetie. Until I tease you about it later… But tell me what’s really wrong.”

 

He shook his head and explained, “I did tell you. I don’t want you leave, and I know it’s only for a few days. I know I’ll be back in Kentucky shortly after you are. I know all that, but I still don’t want to be away from you on Christmas.”

 

“I thought we’d already done this, Josh,” she sighed. “Stop doubting me, us, whatever.”

 

“It’s not that,” he insisted. “I don’t want to be away from you anymore. I want to be with you on Christmas. And Thanksgiving. And every day that’s important and on the ones that aren’t. I don’t know how to explain it, but I want to know it’s you I’ll wake up to on those days. I love my family. I love your family too, but knowing you’ll be there without me is awful.”

 

“Hey,” she murmured and rubbed his jawline with her knuckles. “I understand, Josh. I really do. I hate leaving you every time I have to, but it’s my family. You know you’re always welcome, but I can’t not spend the holidays with them.”

 

“You _don’t_ understand!” he growled in frustration. “Of course I want you to spend the holidays with your family. I just want to be part of your family, too!”

 

“You are!” she insisted, but he shook his head.

 

“I’m not. I’m your boyfriend, someone people _say_ is family, but I’m not really.” He broke off before admitting, “I was trying to avoid this conversation.”

 

“What conversation?”

 

“You know… the talk.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait. _The_ talk? _That_ one?”

 

He nodded miserably. “Please don’t panic.”

 

“I’m not panicked. Here’s my talk.” She stared him straight in the eye and informed him, “I’m in love with you. Desperately in love, but I’m not ready for more than what we are right now. However, what we are right now is a couple madly in love with each other, and I think both of us know we’re it for the other, right?”

 

When he nodded, she continued, “I don’t want a proposal yet. I don’t need it to know how much you mean to me, but I am yours, whether or not I’m wearing that promise on my finger or not. This is the last major holiday we’re going to spend apart. The last one. Next time you’re going home with me, or I’m going home with you. I miss you when you’re gone, and I hate that bullshit. Next year when you hang balls on the tree, they’re going to be our balls, not just mine and not just yours. Got it?”

 

He studied her carefully, but it was clear she meant every word she said. He suddenly felt very foolish for being so rattled, but the thought of being separated by almost 2,000 miles on Christmas Day from the woman he loved, scared the shit out of him. It wasn’t because he doubted her but because he was connected to her in a way that made him feel empty when she wasn’t around. He couldn’t wait to see his own family, but she was his family now, too.

 

“Does that mean I get a say in how the tree is decorated?” he asked carefully.

 

“I like my Christmas balls, Josh,” she warned.

 

“I can understand that, but if that Christmas tree is ours together next year instead of just yours, we’ve got to change the color scheme.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because they’re blue, and one set of blue balls by you is one too many for me.”

 

“Deal,” she grinned at him and winked. “I’ll buy some red ones and decorate my side of the tree in support of Louisville. If you don’t want to use yours to rep your school, that’s fine by me.”

 

“Okay, okay,” he smirked. “I guess blue balls aren’t so bad after all. Just don’t give them to me.”

 

“You won’t even have time to think about delayed gratification, Joshy.”

 

“And why’s that?”

 

“Because that’s just naughty, and you and I both already know I want to be nice.”

 

“It _is_ the season of giving.”

 

“Exactly, so let’s go back to the bedroom so we can ‘give’ some more.”

 


	35. Dropping the Ball

                                                                   

 

“What do you mean you’re not going to make it in time for our reservations?” Jen shouted into the phone.

 

He winced and regretted calling his girlfriend rather than simply sending a text, but he’d been trying to stave off her anger as much as possible.

 

“I’m sorry, hon,” he muttered into the phone as he cursed the airport delay. “I thought I’d be there, but it’s not going to happen.”

 

“But it’s New Year’s Eve, Josh. We made plans to be together.”

 

“I know that,” he snapped in frustration. “You think I don’t know how important this is to you?  I can’t do anything about it. There’s some sort of storm in the upper Midwest, and it’s fucking with air travel all over the nation. Our plane’s not here, and the boards are saying there’s at least a two hour delay.”

 

“Our reservations are for 6:30. It’s noon now. Surely that’s enough time,” she stated firmly and in denial. “You’ll be here.”

 

He sighed in an attempt to ease his frustration, but he was aware that his voice was anything but patient and soothing when he pointed out her faulty logic. “Sweetheart, the plane’s delayed at least two hours. That’s 2:00 p.m. It’s a five hour flight. That’s 7:00. Then I have to get off the plane and get back to the house and change, then drive to the restaurant. There’s no way I’ll be able to do that by 6:30 when I don’t even land until after the time for our reservation.”

 

Silence met him from her end of the call. He held his breath and waited, but she didn’t say anything. The only reason he knew she was still on the line was because he heard some sniffling before she released a soft sob.

 

“I’m sorry, baby,” he crooned. “I’m so sorry. I tried to get back there. I did, but this is out of my control.”

 

More sniffles echoed in his ear, and his heart broke a little at her sadness. He’d clearly dropped the ball on this one, but it wasn’t intentional in any way.

 

“Okay,” she muttered in defeat. “I’ll call and cancel the reservation and put away my dress. I guess I’ll stay home and watch bad TV and drink myself into a stupor by myself. Happy New Year to me…”

 

 _Ouch_ , he thought as his heart cracked in despair. He knew he’d disappointed her, but he was upset, too. He’d made the reservations weeks ago, and the thought of failing his girlfriend on this special night made him feel like a failure. The last thing he wanted was to start the new year with today as a bad omen.

 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he declared brokenly. “I’m sorry.” His voice was quiet, defeated, and shattered when he hit the button to end the call.

 

Unfortunately, the airport situation didn’t improve. The two hour delay turned into three before Josh was able to board the Delta flight bound to Los Angeles. It almost killed him to send Jen a text explaining that he probably wouldn’t be home until at least 9:00.

 

She didn’t answer before he was forced to put his phone on airplane mode, and he spent the entirety of the flight miserably blaming himself for hurting her and trying to come up with some way to salvage the evening. However, his imagination wasn’t cooperating, and he landed with no ideas other than to go directly to her home and spend the rest of the night attempting to make up for the unintentional mess. When he was almost there, he changed his mind and asked his driver to pull through a drive through and then swing by his house so he could pick up a bottle of champagne he’d stashed in his bar. He'd had the intention of returning to his home after dinner to drink it—the dinner that hadn’t happened because of his delay.

 

When the car stopped in front of her place, he gathered his belongings and let himself into the dark house with his key. Squaring his shoulders, he entered the shadowy living room which was lit only by the flicker of the TV.

 

“Hey, honey,” he called softly to the mound of blankets on the sofa. It remained still, so he emptied his hands and crossed the room to seat himself on the edge of the couch. Jen’s hollow gaze almost broke his heart as she stared listlessly at the TV. Her eyes were red and swollen, and it was more than obvious she’d been crying. Dried streaks of saltwater patterned her cheeks, and her mouth turned down in a sad frown.

 

He glanced at the TV and realized she was watching the party in Times Square. The clock at the bottom of the screen indicated that there were five minutes left until the ball dropped. He’d made it to her house by 8:55.

 

He reached down to kiss her, and she barely responded. “That was lackluster,” he declared with disappointment. “I was hoping to get a little bit warmer of a greeting after such a shitty travel day.”

 

She shifted to sit up and snuggled into his arms. “Welcome home,” she said quietly with tears in her voice. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too,” he admitted in a harsh whisper before gently covering her lips with his. This time she responded more, although he could tell she was still reluctant to let go of her disappointment. He kissed her repeatedly with soft, sweet kisses until he heard the countdown begin on the television.

 

“I’m sorry I dropped the ball tonight, Jen, but I’m here for the big ball drop.”

 

She giggled and bit his bottom lip playfully. “I’m looking forward to getting my hands on your big balls later tonight,” she said quietly without enough energy to tease.

 

_“Four… three… two… one… Happy New Year!”_

 

“Happy east coast New Year, baby,” he breathed. “Let’s make the west coast one even better.”

 

“And how do you plan to do that?” She seemed willing enough to give him a chance to redeem himself, but he could tell she was cautious and reluctant to open herself up to being disappointed further.

 

He smiled at her in adoration and quipped, “With McDonalds.”

 

Her eyes flickered and brightened considerably. “Did you bring me a Quarter Pounder with fries?”

 

He nodded enthusiastically and retrieved the bags from the other side of the room before joining her again on the couch. She sat up eagerly and untangled herself from some of the blankets in order to inhale her food. They both groaned in approval as the fast food hit their taste buds despite the fact that it was tepid and not hot. She gulped down her soft drink and slumped back into the cushions with her hands on her stomach.

 

“My god. It doesn’t replace our reservations, but you sure know how to woo me, Joshy.”

 

He grinned at her, the right side of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile, and relaxed next to her.  He intertwined his fingers with hers and leaned over to nuzzle behind her ear.

 

“I’m not done yet,” he drawled, “but I’m too tired to move right now. I need a nap.”

 

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head onto her shoulder. He snuggled into her and draped his left arm around her waist.

 

Jen whispered as his eyes drooped close. “Sleep, baby. I’ll wake you up at 11:00.”

 

He nodded and allowed his eyes to close completely. He breathed the scent of her in deeply and sighed contentedly before drifting into unconsciousness.

 

He woke some time later as she shook his shoulder gently and murmured softly, “Wake up, Joshy. It’s 11:00. We only have an hour until 2015, and I want to spend it with you. An awake you.”

 

He groaned but stretched and reached for her. “Why aren’t you lying down with me?” he grunted in sleepy confusion.

 

She smoothed the hair back from his forehead and answered, “My arm fell asleep. I had to get up to keep my blood circulating.”

 

“I’ll get your blood circulating,” he slurred in husky voice and opened his eyes just so he could wink at her. “By the way, sweetie, I have a surprise for you.”

 

“Hmmm, let’s see what you’ve got. I might be close to forgiving you and your fucked up plane trip.”

 

“I think this might tip you over the edge,” he smirked and pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

 

“Um, Josh. We stopped using condoms months ago. I don’t think that’s going to do it,” she joked, and he burst into laughter.

 

“You’re a moron,” he cackled and opened his wallet to remove two small, faded, crinkled papers.

 

Her brow wrinkled as he handed one to her, and she asked, “What are these?”

 

“Open it,” he ordered gently.

 

He knew the second she realized what it was because she gasped and raised a hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes flickered over the paper before raising them to his and flushing with emotion.

 

“You kept them,” she mumbled in awe.

 

He nodded and smiled tenderly at her. “I kept them. Because I knew you’d lose them.”

 

She blinked to clear the moisture from her eyes and read in a quivering voice, “Buy a house, take a vacation, play mom to my nephew, and spend time with Josh… I kept every one of those resolutions, Josh. Every single one of them. I’ve never done that before.”

 

“You did,” he affirmed. “You definitely bought a house. It’s way too white, and you have those weird crystal things all over the place, but you bought a house. And you’ve spent time with Bear and taken a break from filming. I wasn’t sure that would ever happen, but you didn’t rush from one set to another this year, which is important.”

 

“It felt good to play for a few months,” she admitted. “I mean, I had some photo shoots and interviews and stuff, but no movie set for basically half the year.”

 

“For sure. And you spent a little bit of time with me. Not as much as you could have, of course,” he joked, and she swatted his arm playfully.

 

“I spent a ton of time with you,” she retorted and then mumbled, “and I saw a lot of you. Pretty much every speck of you.”

 

“And I saw every part of you, too,” he agreed and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

 

“What were yours?” she asked in curiosity. “I forgot.”

 

“Spend time with you, spend time with Connor, and work at Camp Hi-Ho. I pretty much did it.”

 

“You did!” she exclaimed. “Even though you spending time with Connor usually meant I wasn’t with you.” Her fake pout made him smile and poke fun at her.

 

“Alright, Platypus Face. Show me anger.”

 

She laughed as she recalled his silly game to help relieve her nerves before an interview.

 

“We had a good year, didn’t we?” she mused as she caressed his jaw with the tips of her fingers.

 

“We did. I’ll never regret Camp Hi-Ho,” he admitted. “That’s where I told you that I loved you for the very first time.”

 

She smiled and kissed him softly. “And I’ll never regret taking my nephew to the Ball Pit that one weekend—and then creating our own in your back yard. Doing it doggy style in a swimming pool full of colored plastic balls was pretty damn hot.”

 

“Yeah, and I learned a lot about alcohol this year—angry balls, high balls, blue balls, fireball.  That wasn’t awful.”

 

“We cooked a Butterball turkey together,” she reminded him.

 

“You gave me balls of steel with your French maid outfit,” he reminisced.

 

“We made love on the floor a few times,” she stated and rose from the couch with his hand in hers.

 

When she tugged him, he asked, “Is that an invitation?”

 

She nodded and pulled him up and against her body. “I’m sorry for being so upset earlier. I don’t know what came over me. I was just so excited about spending New Year’s with you and then everything got messed up, and I broke. It felt like I was losing your for some reason, and I knew that was stupid.”

 

“Goofball,” he teased her and pulled her bottom lip between his teeth to worry it. “I’m yours forever if you’ll keep me.”

 

“You say this as time slips away,” she teased and sank down to the soft white rug they’d christened with simultaneous oral gratification a month or so ago.

 

He glanced at the glass coffee table and noticed she’d chilled the champagne while he napped.  Grabbing the bottle, he asked, “You want some?”

 

She shrugged and pulled her sheer black top over her head and tossed it to the side. “If you want some, sure,” she agreed as she continued to strip.

 

“Oh, I want some,” he murmured, “but not in a glass.”

 

She looked at him in confusion, but he motioned for her to lie down on her back. He shucked his clothing and threw it at the couch before opening the champagne bottle and taking a swig that tickled down his throat. His eyes sparkled at her as he dropped to the floor beside her and raised the bottle.

 

“I’ve always wanted to drink champagne from a woman’s body,” he admitted. “Can I?”

 

Her eyes darkened, and she nodded at him. When he tipped the champagne and the cold liquid slapped onto her stomach, she tensed and gasped, but her nipples hardened from the sensation.  He dropped his head to her navel and drank the bubbles from her skin with his tongue and mouth. He chased a pool of liquid across the hollow of her stomach as she writhed under him, and she almost came off the floor when he slipped the tip of his tongue into her belly button.

 

She grabbed at her breasts and pinched her nipples as he suckled her skin before dipping his head to her heat. She moaned and spread her legs but yelped in shock when he nestled the body of the cold bottle between her legs.

 

“Shit,” she squeaked and thrashed her head from side to side.

 

“So sexy,” he breathed as he pulled the bottle free and tipped it to splash her breasts with champagne. The liquid fizzed as it slid down the rounded mounds, and he licked his lips as her nipples glistened with moisture.

 

“That tickles,” she gasped and pulled his head toward her chest. He moved back and forth from right to left, alternating between licking her with his tongue and sucking her skin into his mouth.  Trickles of champagne dripped down her sides, and he followed them before moving back to her mouth. Her hand slipped down to massage her slit, and he groaned at her wantonness.

 

“Jen,” he panted as he grew harder against her thigh. “I want you so much.”

 

She tore her hand away and gulped in a lungful of breaths before she managed to stammer, “L-let  me first.”

 

He followed her motions to lie back, and she poured the liquid onto his thick chest. It followed the grooves to his hardened abs, and she drank the frothy beverage from him. When he jerked so that some slipped to his pelvis, she followed to lick around his shaft and pull one of his balls into her mouth. When he groaned with longing, she broke away and straddled him.

 

“Make love to me, Josh,” she pled as she shifted on top of him. The TV droned in the background, and he subconsciously registered that the countdown for midnight on the west coast was nearing.

 

He grabbed her hips to steady her and felt her encase his erection. His breath hitched as she settled onto him and then released uneven gasps when she began to move.

 

“Oh, shit,” she whined as she raised and lowered herself on him. “I love you… Oh god.”

 

She moved steadily above him, and he watched the evidence of her enjoyment flash across her face. Her eyes were closed, and her cheeks sparked with color. Her nostrils flared as she took him in and rode his dick, and her mouth moved with silent chants of his name.

 

His hands cupped her ass firmly, but she fondled her right breast with her right hand and allowed her left to drop to where they were joined. Her middle finger stroked her clit until she keened and her hips jerked against him erratically.

 

“Fuuuuuck, baby,” he groaned as his balls began to tingle, and he heard “ _Happy New Year!_ ” ring through the room from the TV.

 

She didn’t open her eyes or acknowledge that they’d entered 2015. Instead, she rocked against him harder and flicked her finger against her nub faster. He bucked upwards involuntarily and felt her tighten around his cock.

 

“Fucking hell!” he yelped and exploded inside her. His shoulders hunched, and his abs convulsed as he pumped warm spurts of fluid into her, and he silently begged her to climax with him.

 

She didn’t, though. She kept moving on top of him, even after his hips slowed, and he started to soften, although he was erect enough to keep filling her. Tiny gasps and yelps that were almost carnal fell from her as her fingers continued to whip back and forth across her clit.

 

He saw her face tighten as she neared orgasm, and he covered her hand with his. As her shouts grew louder and shriller, he massaged her until her body shuddered, and a wave flushed from her and flooded his lap.

 

“Oh god,” he bellowed as he felt her cover him, and she cried his name before falling forward onto his chest.

 

Her mouth sought his desperately, and he was frantic to fuse their lips together. His tongue rubbed against hers as she whimpered into his mouth, and they kissed feverishly until they finally calmed.

 

“God, I love you,” she wailed into his shoulder, and he hugged her tighter against him.

 

“Never letting you go, baby,” he proclaimed quietly into her blonde hair.

 

After several minutes of enjoying their dewy skin against each other’s, Jen rolled off him and collapsed onto the floor. She huffed and gasped, and he entwined his hand with hers.

 

“Happy New Year, Jennifer,” he murmured softly. She sat up in shock and glanced at the TV before fixing her gaze on his face as he lay reclined on her floor.

 

“We missed it,” she lamented. He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and grinned at her.

 

“If by missing it you mean we were connected as intimately as two people can be and were so caught up in each other that we blocked out the rest of the world, then yes. We missed it. But being buried inside you and watching you fall apart on top of me as 2015 begins is pretty much at the top of my list for how I wanted this year to start.”

 

Her eyes glistened, and she stroked his cheek with her thumb. “Well, when you put it that way…” With a sigh, she sank back down onto the rug and into his embrace.

 

“Love you, sweetheart,” he mumbled into her ear.

 

“I love you, too. Any resolutions for this year?”

 

His arms tightened around her, and he shook his head lightly. “Make some movies, do some good, and spend every day reminding myself how incredibly fortunate I am to have you.”

 

She smiled and flipped over to gaze down at him. As she lowered her mouth to his, she confessed, “I can’t wait to see what we get into next.”

 

“Me too.”

 

She reached down and rubbed the palm of her hand across his pelvis to graze him lightly. With a grin, she teased, “I bet it might have something to do with your balls.”

 

“Adventures with balls. I’m okay with that.”

 

“Me too,” she agreed and kissed him again.


End file.
